Instead of Canceling, Let’s Try This Instead

Dear Future:

Go easy on me. I write this at great and unknowing risk to my future self, having no foresight into what the censors will target next, yet sure it will be something and none of us, no matter how well-intentioned or naïve, will be spared.

Perhaps criticism of criticism will eventually become passé, and even asking will be worthy of public shaming. Indeed, we are nearly there today.

A question, for thought: what is the difference between boycotting and canceling? Both are forms of punishment, attempts to hold wrongdoers accountable for their wrongdoings.

But after a moment of thought, the answer.

Boycotting is inherently future-focused. It calls in — to use the parlance of our time — wrongdoers for their wrongdoing, and demands that they change. “I will not buy from you right now” it says, “because of this thing you have done, but if you stop doing that thing, I will do so again.” Even if the sin is unforgivable, it permits asking forgiveness and bestowing redemption.

In contrast, canceling is inherently past-focused. It calls out, shaming wrongdoers and insisting they are bad and flawed and have no possibility or opportunity for redemption. “I will no longer patronize the thing you do” it says, “because of this thing you have done.” Even if the sin is forgivable, it prohibits asking forgiveness and precludes redemption.

The ability, or permission, to fail and learn is what drives not just the creative process but all of human progress. As we, as a society, take away this allowance, we foster a culture of fear. We stifle and stagnate growth and creativity and art. The most we can ask from anyone is to do the best we can with the knowledge we have at the moment we have it. We can acknowledge that we fucked up in the past when our knowledge wasn’t as good or complete, but we can’t know what our future knowledge will be and certainly can’t act accordingly: and yet the culture created by rampant canceling implicitly insists that we have this impossible foresight and so behave.

Today I can write and tell a joke that makes fun of myself: that is “safe” according to today’s boundaries. But maybe tomorrow some new piece of pop identity-ideology will change this rule and I will be on the wrong side of that moment of future-history. How am I supposed to know? How can anyone write or create when we’re constantly tethered not just by today’s rules and yesterday’s rules, but also the immense future of possible tomorrows’ rules, as well?

All I can do is the best I can with today’s rules.

Perhaps we should stop eternally punishing people for past mistakes. I am not suggesting not punishing bad behavior: rather, instead of saying “you’ve don’t wrong, you’re done”, let’s say “you’ve done wrong, here’s how you can fix it”.

Let’s boycott more, and cancel less.