Scott explores the paradox that while it's unfair to judge people/movements by their worst moments rather than accomplishments (like psychology or effective altruism), we all naturally do this anyway (like with Anthony Weiner), and he has no solution to this dilemma. Longer summary

Scott uses the Scottish joke about MacGregor the bridge-builder (who is only remembered for one shameful act, not his accomplishments) to explore a paradox in how we judge people, fields, and movements. He argues this dynamic unfairly affects psychology (remembered for replication failures, not discoveries), effective altruism (remembered for buying a castle, not saving lives), and victims of cancel culture (remembered for one mistake, not years of good work). However, Scott admits he does the same thing himself - he can only think of Anthony Weiner in terms of his scandals, not his Congressional career, and can't stop himself from mentally categorizing people by their worst Twitter comments. He concludes by acknowledging this as a thorny problem with no good solution. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines Pope Francis's PR-friendly actions, questioning why previous Popes didn't employ similar strategies and considering how this shift reflects changing public values. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses Pope Francis being named Time's Person of the Year, expressing appreciation for the Pope's good work while questioning the public's focus on his PR-friendly actions. He argues that these actions, like washing the feet of the poor or living humbly, are obvious PR moves that any savvy leader would make. Scott wonders why previous Popes didn't engage in similar activities, suggesting that Francis might be the first to truly understand modern PR. The post ends with an edit considering that perhaps previous Popes' strategies of projecting power and wealth were actually more effective for their times, implying a significant shift in public values over the past century. Shorter summary