Ta-Nehisi Coates has many accomplishments, so I occasionally feel bad that what I most often think of in his body of work is his 2013 article in the Atlantic, How the quiet car explains the world. I think of it often because it contains this:
“I think what we have here is a working definition of an asshole — a person who demands that all social interaction happen on their terms.”
There is so much to say about the proliferation of this particular brand of intense selfishness, but I just don’t want to because I’m tired of the assholification of society.
But it is good having a working definition so you know what you are looking at when you encounter an asshole in the wild.