"It is really a natural trend or lapse into taking one's self gravely, because it is the easiest thing to do. It is much easier to write a good Times leading article than a good joke in Punch. For solemnity flows out of men naturally; but laughter is a leap. It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light. Satan fell by the force of gravity."
A quote by G.K. Chesterton that I bumbled into this morning as I attempted to research the hypothesis: Seriousness is not serious. But what is the source of this hypothesis?, you may ask. Ha ha. You probably have many other questions, and yet you have no reason to think I will answer them.
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5 comments:
Alex writes:
"'m reminded of the Daily Mail article from today about a Roger Stone attended Memorial Day boat parade in Miami. Trump banners everywhere, people having fun, and a kind of cultural unity. The alt-right, third-generation-conservatism, Trumpism, whatever you want to call it is characterized by a joi de vive and willingness to embrace tackiness, kitsch, and flair. One of the interesting aspects of the Trump phenomenon has been the shift in attitude among Republicans. The GOP establishment has long been WASPy: serious-minded, thrifty, often adverse to self-promotion or flair. Trump, in contrast, was bombastic, larger-than-life... fun. And he isn't alone. Trump became the kernel around which a larger MAGA movement grew which shared those traits. They're happy to mock leftists and left-wing sensibilities, and embrace the idea of political combat. That's not to say that they cannot be serious, because many do have serious ideas and serious discussions. However, there's a balance to it that is new. And this humor is good, because there's value in mockery, in not taking things too seriously. Humor prevents you from becoming too attached to any one idea or institution. If it is subject to mockery, it is subject to evaluation and change.
"The left, meanwhile, has gone from free-love and hippie counterculture, to the stodgy academia and the woke scolds who don't permit any sort of deviation from orthodoxy. Tell me, which one seems more likely to have a future?"
Rob emails:
"I’m still mulling over your contrast of Scott Adams and Glenn Greenwald humor last week, especially your observation that Greenwald “barrels straight into the official humor format of the internet, sarcasm — heavy, obvious sarcasm.” In light of today’s post, I’m thinking that sarcasm is the serious man’s attempt at aping humor. The tell: no leap or lightness there. Maybe that’s why so much of Bill Maher’s “humor” evokes clapter rather than laughter."
Excellent point.
policraticus writes:
"Ihave Chesterton's Orthodoxy on my Kindle! The whole passage begins with another famous Chestertonian aphorism, "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly." Satan, an angel himself, ceased to take himself lightly, the great sin of pride, and then fell.
"My take, I don't know if it is yours, is that those who are quick to cast others as reprobates are only able to do so because they take themselves so seriously. It is overweening pride that makes them unable to recognise the humanity, or forgive the frailty, of others. And more significantly for Chesterton, they are unwilling to see the same frailty in themselves. They are ridgid. Like Pasternak's Strelnikov, they demand that personal, the affectionate, the humanity of man be abolished in favor of their own moral judgements. Remember, too, that Satan comes from the Hebrew for The Accuser. Is there a better way to characterize the current Zeitgeist than to say it is a battle between two sets of accusers?"
It only costs 99¢ to put "Orthodoxy" in your Kindle, so here.
mikee writes:
"I have not felt a need to email a thought of mine on any subject in your now commentless blog until now.
"Regarding seriousness, the Cohen movie "A Serious Man" requires mention.
"One reason seriousness can be faulted is that in the end, life is often seen retrospectively as a cruel, unfunny joke."
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