Wednesday, May 7, 2003

The Cancer of Righteousness -- that's what I think is the biggest problem in the world. That whole "my way or the highway" attitude. Whether it's left or right, religious or secular, scientists or new agers, yuppies or slackers, sex freaks or prudes. When people are inflexible, unbending and adamant that they are right and willing to risk everything to prove it. I'm not comfortable with the idea of just one true path: monotheism, monogamy, etc.


I don't really watch TV too much, but I remember a few years back watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They had this demon character who was also the principal of the school. He was supposed to be supremely evil and they portrayed him as a real Mr. Rogers/ Ned Flanders goody-two-shoes type. Like he'd order the killing of some of the good guys, then offer his minions some cookies and milk. It was funny but also eerie to see evil portrayed in this way.
I'm starting to think that those who represent themselves as the most holier-than-thou may be, for all intents and purposes, the most evil. In the sense that they hold humanity up to impossible standards -- standards they themselves could never live up to. As such, they are automatically hypocrites. And beyond that, they are also self-consciously aware that their castigation and punishment of others is under-handed and wrong. They give themselves a break but let the rest of us suffer for our "sins."
Of course, one may ask what is good and what is evil? Cultural relativism vs. moral absolutism. I'll save that one for another post...