Is it possible to fight the decline of Western civilization without taking ourselves so seriously? I hope so, but the last few years have not been promising.
Self-righteousness has always been a rather annoying trait. Is there anything more humorless than someone on a very high horse reminding you how very right they are?
In the Donald Trump era, that self-righteousness reached Mount Everest levels. Maybe that was inevitable. If you think the world will unravel (or be saved) because of the guy who’s in the Oval Office, why not become deadly serious? Why be humble or humorous when the stakes are so high and you’re 100 percent right?
Politicians sit atop the self-righteous food chain. They’re never wrong. And every word they utter is because “the stakes have never been higher.” The ratings-hungry media run with these high-octane, high-stakes stories with a continuous blur of “breaking news.”
Faced with such an onslaught of life or death urgency, is it any wonder we jump on our high horses? Deadly serious problems demand deadly serious people. Who’s got time for levity or irony when the future of the world is at stake?
Twitter has been the arena par excellence for those who are sure of themselves. Just about every tweet is a celebration of self-righteousness. And no, snark is not humorous. It’s the blunt weapon of the self-righteous warrior.
Consider the age-old issue of dinner conversation. Who’s a better dinner guest, a person who shows humor and curiosity or a person who’s 100 percent sure of themselves? That was a rhetorical question. We know that people who are “always right” can get downright annoying — and who wants to listen to them anyway?
Who’s a better dinner guest, a person who shows humor and curiosity or a person who’s 100 percent sure of themselves?
This is one of my wishes for 2021: We will strive to take serious issues seriously, but without taking ourselves too seriously, and without allowing politics and politicians to sour our personalities or demeanors.
We can’t expect the media or political elites to lead the way, so we have to do it ourselves, in our own lives. Even while trying to repair the world, we can lower our decibel levels, listen to other truths, and look for humor and levity.
With so much around us heavy and dark, it’s not obvious why we should lighten up. But maybe that’s precisely why it’s a good idea. Lightening up releases stress, which is good for our health, which we’ll surely need if we want to save Western civilization.
Shabbat shalom.
