Comments by "Gilad Barlev" (@GSBarlev) on "" video.

I connect so much with that feeling of wanting to be universally liked. It's only in the last year that I've embraced the validation of being disliked by certain groups. That is, based on by country of birth and my political views, I've been called a "traitor" and been told that my family surely spits on me. I was also unceremoniously fired from a job for calling out dangerous and wasteful practices and making "enemies" with those entrenched in the system. It took a lot of personal reflection, but at the end of the day, I realized that I'd much rather be hated for holding the right beliefs than tolerated or even loved by people who are actively seeking to make the world worse. John, as an author of several "banned books," I hope you can see the value in that distinction as well—which, in my mind, is an honor on par with a Pulitzer—that the messages you're sharing are so powerful, they frighten people who seek to oppress others and stifle thought.
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