What's Two Plus Two?

- Lizzo, "Boys," 2018

There are times when a self-evident truth—that two plus two equals four—becomes uncertain. This was true long before George Orwell popularized the idea in his novel 1984. For centuries, “2+2=5” has been shorthand for the irrational, the supernatural, the politically sinister and the willfully fanciful. So how do we find stability when the ground shifts beneath us? How do we get to truths as self-evident as basic math? One might think hard-edged rationality is called for, but these truths are moral. It’s true: tolerance, goodwill, and love always add up, immutable and certain, in our day-to-day lived experience.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to May 31, 2025.

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