Today, on November 23, 1814, Elbridge Thomas Gerry, Vice President of the United States, died at 70 years old.
In our last email we talked about how you should fear shields more than swords - defensive innovation often leads to more death and destruction than offensive innovation. Of course that’s not always true, but it’s interesting.
There’s a nuance that we didn’t mention. If you invent a new weapon, given enough time, it will always be used against you, often canceling out any initial advantage.
One reason why most fist fights don’t turn deadly is because we intuitively understand this. If I grab a rock, then you or your friend can grab a rock. The same is true for verbal arguments. Most people try to avoid ad hominem attacks or screaming because they intuitively know that once they cross that line, any advantage is lost when it’s returned against them. If I scream, you scream (and not for ice cream).
Today’s topic provides another example. Although you don’t know Gerry, you’ve definitely heard of his legacy: the practice of gerrymandering is named after him. Gerrymandering is the process of redrawing election districts to concentrate opposing votes in singular areas, thus unfairly winning.
It’s first use was in Massachusetts when Gerry was Governor. Although Gerry found the practice “highly disagreeable,” he did it anyways for the short-term advantage. Naturally, it was adopted by his opponents and is now widespread and one of the worst things that ever happened to this country.
Be careful what you use, for it might be used against you!
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