you. Even if what they say is wrong and unfair, and even if they are straight up lying about you—that still hurts. It’s OK to admit it, and it’s OK to feel all the terrible feelings that come with that. The human brain is designed such that it inter- prets social violence almost exactly the same as physical violence. It hurts when people attack you, and I will never tell you to block it out and pretend it doesn’t bother you. That doesn’t work. But, if this is a fear you are facing, you have the option to see it as a gift. If there are people who will criticize your position, that can force you to examine it from all angles and make sure your arguments are rock solid. Also, opposition helps you find and galvanize your own audience of people, like Shannon did. If there are loud and angry people on only one side of a debate, it probably means the other side simply does not have a spokesperson. Your book puts you in that role. Also, use this fear to make sure you are being fair to people and other arguments. It’s okay to be conscious about the words you use and how they impact people. This does not mean you water down your position—in fact, your argument is strengthened when it is considerate of alternate viewpoints. Finally, remember the iconic quote about this by Steven Pressfield: Making a judgment, taking a stand and then acting against an injustice or acting to support excellence is the stuff of the everyman hero. If you are an aspiring artist and you wish to avoid “judgments,” you’ll find that you have nothing to say. 36 · ThE SCriBE METhOD