The Case Against Centricity

We need a center to steer explanations, summarise values and focus attention. It comes as naturally as the urge to compare and is closely related to it. Comparing can be explicit — we prefer this over that, and we say so. It can be wishful — something that is not the case, but we want it to be. And there is a third case, where we only realize our true priorities in hindsight.

It’s possible that out of these needs, the practice of adding “-centric” took off, and some of its products enjoy high circulation. Whatever the reason, all popular, something-centric words seem to me either delusional, hypocritical, misnomered, counterproductive or simply wrong. How so?
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