I read ๐๐๐ a thousand years ago. So appreciative of being reminded of it with this wonderful essay.
Lots of great commentary, too. I gravitated particularly to your point about pretension. That whole paragraph encapsulates so much. Pretension came to the fore in a way I'd never seen it, I don't think. Its evil counterpart, IMO? Sanctimony. That vice, too, was everywhere, is everywhere it seems.
I just learned of the murder of Persig's son here. It made me gasp. So heartbreaking.
Thank you againโฆ