This is notoriously the season of giving, but as we reach the end of 2024, I’m thinking a lot about our episode on "Giving Up." The idea of giving up can mean so many things. It can mean accepting defeat, walking away, or making a noble sacrifice. It is doing away with old ways to make space for the new. Ultimately, giving up is a choice one makes at a critical moment when something that was once acceptable becomes unacceptable.
I see “giving up” play out in the way people are paring back, moving towards consuming less in the face of rising costs and inflation. I saw it post-election in the way many women were talking about embracing the 4B movement and giving up on the prospects of men altogether. People are giving up on systems meant to serve us, as seen in the grievances against our healthcare system in the wake of the United Healthcare shooting. If there is anything certain about the coming new year, it’s that these critical moments will keep coming.
We are all here trying to do our best, and the rising tides of uncertainty are leading people to give up in so many ways. I’m reminded of our interview with Maggie Jackson, on the wisdom of embracing uncertainty. By giving up our need to be sure, we can hopefully widen our horizons of what we think is possible in the new year and beyond.
– Angelo