The Algorithm of Mercy
Learning to pull punches.
Summary: What do fear, prejudice, and entitlement have in common? Put them together and you get what I’ve been calling the Algorithm of Hate—the fuel behind violence, dehumanization, and even the assassination we all just witnessed. But as I wrestled with my own reactions, I realized I was falling into the same trap: sharpening my words into weapons, trying to score the final blow in arguments online. That’s when the missing ingredient revealed itself: mercy. In this essay, I explore how courage, direct experience, and humility transform justice into something that doesn’t collapse into cruelty—and why it matters for how we mourn, debate, and live together.
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