Bill Rice, Jr.: 02-01-2025, I think this is true, which explains the importance of the Censorship Industrial Complex.

I read somewhere “Why?” is usually the best question. Today, for reasons I won’t get into, I asked myself why do I do the work I do?

Why is probably the best question because it’s also the toughest question to answer. Still, since writers are supposed to grapple with Big Questions, I’m going to give it a shot today.

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I must do the work I do – writing – because I must think I’m pretty good at it.

That is, of all the jobs I could do, this is the one I can probably/perhaps do better than most people. Thus, one might say I’m pursuing the activity I think I’m best at … which, to me, seems like a reasonable explanation for a career path.

However, based on decades of writing experience, it’s also clear I don’t make a lot of money doing the thing I think I’m best at.

This observation belies the old saw that many people will, ultimately, become financially secure if they simply “pursue their passion.” (In journalism, it’s possible to make a middle-class living, but not if you practice the form of journalism that interests me.)

That is, it’s safe to say I don’t write for a living to “make money.”

Which brings me to this nugget of self-analysis: I must think what I’m doing is either important or potentially important.

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