Seek simplicity but distrust it.
The guiding motto in the life of every natural philosopher should be, seek simplicity and distrust it.
We are a nation founded on distrust of government power, and questioning that power is essential to promoting transparency and accountability.
I'm pretty happy not to be an insider anymore. There's just no common ground. I don't know if it's distrust or that the politics is substantially more partisan than the public. But there's no pressure to make a grand bargain on fiscal matters, on growth, on anything.
When Barack Obama arrived in Washington, many in the media welcomed him with optimism as a historic figure focused on progressive change. But their overwhelmingly favorable treatment of him ultimately turned Americans who disagreed with Obama's policies away from traditional media sources they came to distrust.
Distrust of government isn't baseless cynicism. It's realism.
The only people who distrust the cops are crooks. They're not out there just harassing innocent people. Maybe sometimes they do. But there's no inherent situation where cops are deliberately out there harassing people.