On Tuesday, I opened Instagram to pass some time. At first, I was laughing. The posts were funny, light and easy. I was enjoying myself. Then, somewhere in the scrolling, the temperature changed. I did not notice the exact moment it happened. One minute I was amused, and later I was angry. Not mildly irritated. Angry. The shift had been so subtle that I had not clocked it while it was happening. I must have been scrolling for two or three hours. I honestly lost track of time.

There is a difference between ignorance and stupidity. Ignorance is not knowing. Stupidity is accepting something as true when the lie is obvious. Willful ignorance is choosing not to know. Choosing not to look too closely. Choosing comfort over truth. Choosing convenience over honesty. Choosing the version of reality that asks the least of you or that supports your narative. This is where a lot of us are living now. We are surrounded by things that get called truth simply be