We reference the Nijiri-guchi, the crawl-through entrance of the Japanese tea house. Anecdotally, the low entrance meant everyone entered the room in a humble posture. Although society was built of strict hierarchies, everyone was equal in the tea house.

To the extent that our discourses are in our hands, what will we make of them? As liberalism, social democracy, and its related ideals are challenged by the authoritarian right and left, will we go forward in a posture of humility?