TGS Live: Self-Censorship Today

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Jul 13, 2025

In a lively discussion with Glenn Loury, Mark Sussman, an insightful author, dives into the complexities of self-censorship today. They tackle the economics of addiction and the surprising dynamics of in-flight conversations. The duo takes a hard look at racial nomenclature, the spiral of silence in political debates, and how societal pressures distort true consensus. Sussman also reflects on the importance of honest discourse in the face of daunting social expectations, ensuring a thought-provoking exploration of today's communication challenges.

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INSIGHT

Two Registers of Self-Censorship

Self-censorship has both a social and a personal dimension, linking individual choice with social consensus.
Understanding it requires examining the interaction between these two registers of discourse.

INSIGHT

Personal vs Social Self-Censorship

The personal aspect of self-censorship involves integrity and the struggle for self-respect.
Social self-censorship is strategic, anticipating how others will react.

INSIGHT

Consensus and Dissent Tension

Self-censorship arises from tension between an individual's dissent and a community's apparent consensus.
Consensus may be superficial, maintained by fear rather than genuine agreement.

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My latest book, Self-Censorship, is coming out in a couple weeks, and I’m excited to share it with you. As a kind of apéritif, Mark Sussman and I livestreamed our wide-ranging discussion of all things self-censorious. We talk about the book, of course, but also the economics of addiction, the trouble with streaming music, the best and worst of airplane socializing, and many other topics. It’s a good introduction to the book, which you can preorder now on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you get your books.

In this stream, Mark and I discuss the incoherence of racial and ethnic nomenclature, the utility of self-censorship in political coalition-building, uncovering consensus within the spiral of silence, objectivity in public discourse, the joy and pain of in-flight chit-chat, the truth-seeking value of debate, de gustibus non disputandum est, the paradox of choice, what we’re self-censoring about today, anti-antisemitism, Václav Havel and the power of the powerless, minor and major self-censorship, speaking your mind without tenure, Israel and self-censorship, risking deportation for self-expression, the return of Old Glenn / New Glenn, and the line between cowardice and strategic silence.

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