How Elites Abandoned the Masses
6th April 2023
Inspired by reading Coming Apart, in this piece we’ll discuss a non-obvious way elites have abandoned their responsibility to the masses: they have stopped celebrating the habits and structures that they abide by in order to be successful, and have indirectly encouraged the opposite.
Betrayed by the Crust, who have mistaken themselves for the Filling.
Pareto called this the aristocracy of lions vs. the aristocracy of foxes. Lions are proud, forceful aristocrats who explicitly own their position as leaders. Foxes, however, are humble servants who will forever deny that they’re in charge. While lions want to run the world, foxes want to save the world.
Because our new elites are foxes and not lions, they no longer feel comfortable celebrating productive habits for the rest of society.