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Saturday 19 December 2020

The modern world in two sentences



Now I think there are two unforgivable things (there are probably many more, but here at least are two!). One is to think that you are unique when you are unhappy, the other is to burden other people with that same unhappiness.

Hugh Walpole - John Cornelius (1937)

Another aspect is fake unhappiness which has always existed but we now seem to be drowning in it, especially political versions. A related type of emotional mendacity is pretending to be offended - we certainly know what a burden that one is.

2 comments:

Sam Vega said...

It's a very interesting burden, and one that points to a deep change. We are no longer being burdened with the same unhappiness. We are being invited to pick up the burden of guilt. Are you moral enough to admit to hurting me? If not, I'll cause you a lot of trouble.

A K Haart said...

Sam - yes, it's a shift from the personal identity to the political identity.