The Grand Illusion
There’s definitely an anger problem in the United States today, from the President all the way down. There’s also an associated “stupidity” problem. That’s because, as I’ve mentioned before and elsewhere, anger and arrogance make people stupid, particularly the President (who believes everyone else is stupid even as he takes stupid actions).
At least some of the current anger, from what I see, arises from an attitude that can be described as a “are you so stupid that you can’t see” mindset, often fueled in part by stress. But it’s often not so much as willful stupidity as ignorance, either honest or willful. Sometimes, we don’t want to know, and sometimes we really don’t know all that we should.
A great number of people with very firm beliefs are so convinced that they’re right, and that anyone who doesn’t see things the way they do must be stupid. The problem here is that beliefs tend to be based on emotions and feelings and, at times, on the selective use of facts or on facts that only apply to certain segments of the population.
A variation of this came up in the previous blog post, when a reader stated that it was nonsense to make value judgments on the worth of others based on what clothes they wear, and another got angry when I said that such judgments weren’t nonsensical in the real world because such judgements are still made and have consequences. The fact is that both can be true.
On the surface, there shouldn’t have been such a reaction over apparel. The fact that there was suggests that a lot more is going on. The majority of Americans are unhappy with the President and both political parties. That’s hardly surprising when the cost of living is going up for everyone, and when the cost of higher education, the supposed ticket to personal prosperity, is at an all-time high and when an increasing percentage of graduates can’t pay off the student loans it took to get that education or can’t obtain the funding to buy a house.
Domestic violence has increased, mainly among adults in the 18–34-year-old age group, not coincidentally, the age group hit hardest by economic shortfalls. The adverse economics aren’t as likely to hit a professional family in their forties or fifties nearly so hard. But they’re still there and create the stress that can fuel anger.
Increases in road rage incidents continue, and that’s definitely a case where rage makes one stupid – you’re going to shoot and possibly kill someone for cutting you off, and spend years in jail or thousands of dollars avoiding it to save a few minutes?
I don’t have an answer for the increasing anger, except to say, take a long look at those who make you angry before you lash out… and it wouldn’t hurt to consider the costs of that anger.
And, at the same time, I can see that doing either is getting harder and harder as personal and societal stress levels continue to increase.
I met such anger over the UK BreXit. If you voted to leave you were stupid or worse. When the result was announced, so called educated and informed people became enraged and refused to accept a democratic result targeting those they knew had voted (in their view) wrongly.
The scarred relationships still remain.
I apologize again for getting angry last post.
It’s not so much “how dumb can the 49.6% who voted him back in be??” It’s more that Trump gets away with murder (not literally) (then again, with his Covid response of “it’s the flu,” pretty close to literally).
He is so terrible a politician that he got impeached twice (it takes a lot to get impeached, that’s why it’s only happened to three presidents, they all messed up big-time to put themselves in that position). He’s enough of a crook to have 34 felony convictions. And on and on and on.
Where’s the comeuppance? Where’s the lightbulb moment where he realizes who he is and what he’s done?
I know. Never happen. The guy needs help even more than condemnation, but he’ll never get that either.
So frustrating. Hope the midterms help.
(Hope that percentage of discontented people, who are never going to get an instant fix, don’t put us right back here again in another election or two.)
(Sigh)
LEM: Thanks for coming up with this so quickly!!
I’ve also found that anger over understanding pops up when people can’t grasp that something could be different even if they don’t see it.
I believe you have Arlyn mention that people claim they understand but real understanding is more than just “I hear you.”
Similar you mention right up there “Why can’t you see” type mentality.
I’m not sure what it is but people struggle there and many can’t get to the point of “I don’t understand, but I can still acknowledge.”
On a human rights side so many people can’t grasp the concept of transgender people. And the idea that just because you don’t get it doesn’t mean it’s not valid is lost.
Heck, on a simple level. I’m a decent singer. I’ve helped friends improve their voices… And I had one friend want to learn a song to sing for their partner’s anniversary.. They are tone deaf. I spent 6 hours with them completely unable to help because I just couldn’t grasp how one just wouldnt’ have relative pitch at all. Eventually I was able to have them move in steps from wherever they started and get them thinking that way, but again, lost 6 hours thanks to “Why can’t you just get it?”
Acceptance doesn’t need Understanding. 🙂
It’s one of the great ironies of our time that greater and faster access to information and communication has divided us so much. I’d like to say that it didn’t have to be this way; it’s fun, and difficult, to imagine what could have changed during the development of the internet that might have returned a different result. I can’t help but think that the world of Dune was rather prescient to ban thinking machines and algorithms, haha, even if their reasoning was for competency/safety and not empathy. Unfortunately, too, AI as-implemented only continues the bubble-reinforcement cycle that’s affected so many folks.
At this point, as a card-carrying member of that 18-34 age group you mentioned, I actively discard opinions and ‘discourse’ that I see online. I turn off algorithms; I only read about things I’ve actively wanted and searched for. The well is poisoned. Not only are people too free with hate, but the topics themselves are often only important on the internet and/or purposely shaped by outside capital. Many folks care far too much about issues which don’t matter to our realities.
Likely not most, but some of us feel the same way, I think. Friends who teach have told me that handmade gifts and physical hobbies are very popular with younger folks, for instance. Items and acts which feel human are only becoming more meaningful. Maybe that’s a sign of the ship turning around; even if not, it brings a smile.
Thank you for the reminder to appreciate our neighbors 🙂