“Take the lead” is certainly an expression used in the UK to denote guiding people, as in “I’ll take the lead”. I assume both come from ballroom dancing.

I’m sure it’s used elsewhere but it may also simply be a conflation of the two.

Unfortunately, you violated the law slightly by asking a question!

Cunningham’s Law states “the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it’s to post the wrong answer.”

I think you’re underestimating the intelligence of average people. There’s definitely a lack of knowledge, but average people are plenty smart to invent everything you’ve listed. It just takes time and is an iterative process.

Damn, I’m glad you made this comment as that is an amazing gif;

Definitely yes, but like all philosophies your understanding will develop as you age and your perspective changes.

Consider the book Happy by Deren Brown. It’s a great summary of Ancient philosophies and then a good ‘entry level’ introduction to Stoicism.

I love calling someone a ‘berk’. Simple, harmless word but it’s got a good affectionate ring to it.

We have firmly reached the limits of my very limited understanding of the technologies available, now! But we agree, at least, that something not tied into a walled garden is preferable.

I have a little hope with the recent time in the sun the fediverse is having.

I’m hoping RCS’ burgeoning ubiquity on Android breaks some of the walls down in Europe, at least.

Yup, hard agree with you on that last point.

That’s an interesting example, but note that in Europe, at least, WhatsApp is king. I only mention it because the walled-garden approach Apple favours isn’t necessarily a guaranteed outcome, and third-party apps can happily become the norm among non-tech people.

I’m slightly confused by the phrase “get back into crumpets” - you fell out of love with them? That’s like falling out of love with breathing!

I can’t help but love flip phones, but definitely wouldn’t go near the folding-screen variety for a lot of generations. I hope one day to have something as robust as the old dumbphones.