Jack Bilson On…

Jack

  • On Shame

    Shame is quietly shaping our politics, shifting the public focus from a battle of ideas to a contest of feelings. When economic security vanishes, and the future becomes hard to imagine, jobs and economic security is not all that people… Continue reading

  • On Gossip

    Gossip is noise, a distraction, a petty indulgence that is best avoided. It is never neutral, but rather a siren song that is alluring and reassuring on the surface, but ultimately deceptive and destructive. We understand the risk of revealing… Continue reading

  • On Advice

    It feels like it and sounds like it, but it is not the same. Validation tells us we are right, while advice tells us something much harder. Advice tells us that we are confused, misguided or just plain wrong. Increasingly,… Continue reading

  • On Luxury Beliefs

    Luxury beliefs are not things that are worn, rather they are things that are spoken, often softly, behind the cover of clever words, but always with good intentions. They are modern marks of status that signal moral virtue while costing… Continue reading

  • On Leadership

    Leadership is rarely about competence. More often than not, it is often about performance and the ability to appear capable and connected. It is a type of theatre, or Potemkin façade, which is quietly rewarded, even revered, by organisations that… Continue reading

  • On Bullying

    Bullying is rarely just about bad behaviour. It is a method of control and a way to manage difference. A system of violence that is quietly tolerated, if not encouraged, by organisations that claim to oppose it. We tend to… Continue reading

  • On Bullshit

    Bullshit is not always a lie. More often it is the mask needed to deliver a neat and polished performance. For those who aspire for positions of power and status, bullshit is not an exception, but rather an expectation. It… Continue reading

  • On Language

    Language is an essential tool for truth that enables us to name injustices, speak back to power and build solidarity. But language is not neutral and it does not always do what we want. At times, it can be a… Continue reading

  • On Meritocracy

    In a society that celebrates individual achievement, the idea of meritocracy is seductive. It tells us that success is earned through natural ability, talent, effort and hard work. But this comforting idea often hides a much more uncomfortable truth. It… Continue reading

  • On Authenticity

    In a world obsessed with appearances, self-presentation and social validation, authenticity has never felt more urgent or more challenging. Indeed, I am regularly confronted by circumstances where the expectation to appear a certain way overshadows my ability to be honest.… Continue reading