Just a thought reading this. Do you think we could muster a bit more joy if our institutions weren’t such overpowering gerontocracies?
People aren’t expressing these sentiments for the most part out of genuine empathy. They are doing so, as you say, performatively because some high priest of secularism has told them they are sinners and need to repent. Whereas in fact they just derive some benefits (if at all) from accidents of birth like every human being, a circumstance to which no original sin is attached. We are still up to our necks in Foucault’s confession paradigm. It’s internalised self-hate that drives all this breast-beating, not love for our fellow woman and man.
Please forgive my late response. This is one of the first posts I've opened comments up to all subscribers, and I hadn't had notifications turned on so didn't see the comment.
You've mentioned two thoughts here: The question around the impact of gerontocracies is an interesting one. There can certainly be a lot of joy and exuberance coming from younger politically active people. But, the opposite can be true, too. Sometimes young people who come of age during a time of upheaval and societal splitting (America is uniquely evil vs. America has been a difficult experiment worth defending and improving) can themselves become joyless scolds. I have not heard of the word "gerontocracy" until I read your comment. I found this interesting article from Teen Vogue, and now my interest has been piqued! https://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-is-a-gerontocracy
As far as the other insight you shared... yes, it often does seem to be more about performance and outright contempt for themselves and other people than love for fellow human beings. It often feels like an excuse for behaving badly.
Here's a relevant quote about that tendency.
“The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior 'righteous indignation' — this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats.”
Just a thought reading this. Do you think we could muster a bit more joy if our institutions weren’t such overpowering gerontocracies?
People aren’t expressing these sentiments for the most part out of genuine empathy. They are doing so, as you say, performatively because some high priest of secularism has told them they are sinners and need to repent. Whereas in fact they just derive some benefits (if at all) from accidents of birth like every human being, a circumstance to which no original sin is attached. We are still up to our necks in Foucault’s confession paradigm. It’s internalised self-hate that drives all this breast-beating, not love for our fellow woman and man.
HI, CPJ.
Please forgive my late response. This is one of the first posts I've opened comments up to all subscribers, and I hadn't had notifications turned on so didn't see the comment.
You've mentioned two thoughts here: The question around the impact of gerontocracies is an interesting one. There can certainly be a lot of joy and exuberance coming from younger politically active people. But, the opposite can be true, too. Sometimes young people who come of age during a time of upheaval and societal splitting (America is uniquely evil vs. America has been a difficult experiment worth defending and improving) can themselves become joyless scolds. I have not heard of the word "gerontocracy" until I read your comment. I found this interesting article from Teen Vogue, and now my interest has been piqued! https://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-is-a-gerontocracy
As far as the other insight you shared... yes, it often does seem to be more about performance and outright contempt for themselves and other people than love for fellow human beings. It often feels like an excuse for behaving badly.
Here's a relevant quote about that tendency.
“The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior 'righteous indignation' — this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats.”
― Aldous Huxley, Crome Yellow