If this blog were to be widely read (unlikely in the extreme - indeed, if anyone at all reads it I shall be pleasantly surprised), I'd be fairly confident that someone would take offence at my use of archaic language in the title of the blog and accuse me of sexism. I have, however, chosen my language deliberately, in an (albeit oblique) attempt to illustrate the point I am trying to make.
If I could wish for just one Christmas present it would be for there to be more goodwill in the world (and particularly the UK) between political opponents, with some attempt at understanding alternative points of view. Is it really too much to ask for people to give each other the benefit of the doubt, and to try to interpret the comments of others in the spirit in which they are made?
Is anyone else out there as dismayed as I am by the amount of self-righteousness in modern day public discourse? And the rush to judgement without taking into account the context in which remarks are made? After all, what is the difference between premature judgement and prejudice?
Curiously, I'd been pondering the theme for this (my first) blog overnight, when I read a piece this morning (see link below) by Daniel Hannan MEP: his description of the "Lily Allen Tendency" demonstrates what I'm on about far more eloquently than I could ever hope to do myself.
Even if (indeed, especially if) you, like myself, are yet to be completely convinced by Mr Hannan's faith in the workings of the free market, this has got to be worth reading for its insights into human nature.
Perhaps I should have put Jonathan Haidt's book, The Righteous Mind, on my wishlist to Santa!
Merry Christmas - and may I wish peace and goodwill to everyone, without exception.
And in the New Year, could we please be just a little more pleasant to each other?
No comments:
Post a Comment