Greetings! It is day two and I have yet to receive a complaint. I guess children aren’t a top priority. Personally, I think it would be best to bake them in pies.
Yeah, today I’d like to discuss the orthodoxies among the partitioned American public, in particular, the practice of the auto-de-fé. Often we find ourselves in situations where we must take an opposing view. A rational response to opposition is to listen and correct any factual errors. Conversely, many are vengeful reactionaries. Impromptu debates turn into a Maury paternity test result. It is terribly disconcerting to watch discourse degrade into an ad hominem attack.
Group behavior is dictated by a cardinal rule; if you are different, you are wrong. Neo-Nazis, Latin Kings, Bloods, Crypts, and mom’s book club, all operate under the regulation of authoritarian similarity. One group may seem more outwardly violent, but even the most innocent-looking faction can unleash pitiless retribution (that is, without physical force). Sadly, public hangings/burnings have been a staple among those unwilling to accept deviation. Nowadays, we aren’t given the literal death forum of yore, so the masses turn to the metaphorical auto-de-fé. Commonly, laymen will place blame on religiosity, but surely this is not the case, given that western religion is laden with declarations on the subject of the importance of individuality.
If we are to accept that someone is absolutely wrong by dint of the truth, as defined by what can be referenced (legitimacy is key), we cannot rebut with a circus of emotions. Irrational behavior begets irrational behavior. The route that we should take is one that doesn’t skewer the soul of our fellow man. And we must also be willing to accept that cherished ideas can be shattered. If wisdom is sought, it can be found in a book and through research, not through the evisceration of someone’s moral fiber.
Accordingly, I’d like to end this post with a video from classic SNL. Maybe the next time you find yourself ready to react with harshness, you can respond like the characters below.
Peace!
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