Arrogance and Envy

Why do the masses of ordinary citizens pay such a feverish mind to an international event so seemingly obscure as the royal wedding uniting Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, with Catherine “Kate” Middleton?  What is so special about the dress of Kate’s younger sister and maid of honor, Philippa "Pippa" Middleton, that the multitudes can’t seem to tear their eyes away?

More simply put, why do those from a lower station crave obsession with those who appear to be upon the summits of human life?  After all, it would appear that the advantages of nature or of fortune have contributed very little over the centuries to the promotion of happiness.  Surely neither the splendor of their rank nor the extent of their capacity has often given any just occasion to envy.

To some, apparent superiority has a tendency to incite great designs and even greater imaginations.  But these are naturally susceptible to fatal miscarriages.  To others, the general lot of mankind is misery.  That the misfortunes of those whose eminence draws upon them universal attention have been more carefully recorded should not be a particularly vexing phenomenon.

Perhaps their misfortunes were more carefully recorded only because they were more generally observed.  Perhaps, too, their misfortunes have in reality been only more conspicuous than those of others, but not more frequent, or more severe.

Some barriers are not physical.  Rather, they are psychological.  The human emotion of fear is of the latter variety, used by those in authority to assure conformity to a desired behavior.  Envy is also a very powerful psychological barrier, as is arrogance.  The rich look down from the summit upon the poor with arrogance; the poor, in turn, look up from their lower station on the rich with envy.

During the early days of industrialization in the late 19^th century, Theodore Roosevelt made an astute observation within his analysis of labor-ownership strife and the arrogance of capitalism.  Exhausted from his attempts to balance the competing social forces he sought to mediate, T.R. described the situation thus: “Envy and arrogance are the two opposite sides of the same black crystal.”

To Alphonso X, the Learned, King of Spain, as far back as the 13^th century, general credit is given for having said that “Had I been present at the creation I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe.”  One then might ask: Better ordering to suit whom?  The learned king no doubt had his own happiness in mind.  His own best interests first.  His people’s second.

In what has been labeled “an expression of the American mind,” the 1776 Declaration of Independence, authored by Thomas Jefferson, states that among the “certain and inalienable rights” which all men possess are “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  The word “happiness,” however, is without definition.  Neither is the word “property,” the ownership thereof, or “bank” anywhere mentioned.  Nor is a particular economic system contemplated in the 1789 US Constitution.

What, then, is the pursuit of happiness?  To answer this question, the ordinary citizen should recognize that arrogance and envy are antagonists in the predictable “science of human nature.”  This vantage point is provocative yet neutral.


-Michael D’Angelo

Nature: a Higher Authority

Is there a higher authority than the law or made made religious institutions?

Nature is simple in its essence, and seemingly perfect in every way.  Man is a simple product of nature, but human nature is, as we have come to know, imperfect.  The intersection of nature with the birth of a human being constitutes life in its simplest form.  My parents used to say that all a baby really needs are three things: food, warmth and love.  That’s it.  The traditional hospital blanket, which covers the newborn infant for baby’s first picture, is slightly larger, perhaps, than an ordinary dish cloth.

But then, the hospital blanket begins to grow, and so do the problems.  And, somehow, it gets complicated.  The signs are familiar: the loss of Mom and/or Dad’s job, an ill conceived marriage, an ugly divorce, an illness, an untimely death.  Other signs are even less subtle: the birth of a child into poverty with no father, no parents, no adult role model.  Few are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to grow up the privileged child of the rich man.  As a matter of numbers, it’s just not reality.

Somewhere along the line, however, we may recognize how simple turns into complicated.  Those with the special twin gifts of inner strength and mental toughness are able to navigate these choppy waters with great discipline.  And, through a healthy measure of self-examination, we begin to simplify.  Hopelessly lost, for a time, in a race whose value has come into question, we find our way back to basics.  We prioritize, and through this process the journey of life begins anew.

The tricky part is how we go about the process of simplifying.  For some, comfort and solace are found and nurtured within religion or politics, the bedrock social institutions.  Interesting is the fact that in our American democracy each, although sacred in its own right, is kept separate and distinct.  There can be neither politics in religion, nor religion in politics.  It is the law of the land and has been so, since 1791.

Despite the imperfections inherent in each of these institutions, when we begin to peel back the onion and scrutinize the underpinnings, we react quite differently.

Some choose to accept the inherent flaws, whether perceived as minor or major is of little consequence.  They voluntarily submit to the structure of the nominal authorities.  Further, they accept that while these old friends may be far from perfect, somehow we need them.

Others are seemingly oblivious to the flaws.  Here, the word “brainwashed” comes to mind, although perhaps it is more diplomatic to settle on the word “dependent.”  The politics of fear is skillfully deployed, aimed at destroying our basic convictions and attitudes and replacing them with alternative beliefs.  We are controlled through this intensive and forcible transformative process and can be manipulated as necessary to promote the self-serving goals of the leaders.

Still others see through self-interest, reject arbitrary and artificial rules, and choose to go it alone.  Their independent path less traveled is guided not by man made filters or walls but only by the voice in their inner bosom.  These individuals understand that while these institutions started off and mean well, and do good things for lots of people, sometimes they are corrupted.  These individuals also understand that there is a higher authority than the law or man made religious institutions.

But which is the preferred or more correct way to proceed?  There are no right or wrong answers.  All are reasonable.  There’s only us, and the quality of our daily existence, such as what we ordinary citizens make of it.  But the path less traveled has higher upside for greater understanding.  Prudently navigated, this path alone has the capacity to identify and suspend the limiting self-interest component of politics and religion.  The complicated can thus become simplified, permitting the underlying message to shine through.

-Michael D’Angelo