If One Is already a Prominent Person, Why Is Trolling for Angry Responses to Boldly Stated Stupidities so Attractive — Would Not a Quieter Reputation for Thoughtful Intelligence Be Preferable? —on Modernity’s Rampant Narcissism

© 2013 Peter Free

 

17 January 2013

 

 

As a former historian, culture interests me — ours is increasingly headed for the Self-Adulation Cesspool

 

I’ll blame the highly intelligent (and politically very “liberal”) Rachel Maddow for this rumination.

 

Last night, she decided that much of America’s Right Wing could be categorized as “trolls” — the Internet word for people who like to stir the Pot of Wrath with their provocatively stupid statements.  She said this tactic kept the Right’s base audience pumped up and coming back for more.

 

Ms. Maddow was diplomatic enough not to explicitly say what I was thinking.  Namely, that people who keep coming back for more are even less insightful and brain-gifted than the troll.

 

 

Which leads to a spiritual question

 

By encouraging stupidity and wrath in our base constituents, and appalled outrage in our wider audience, are we doing the soul’s work — or simply contributing to delayed perdition?

 

Where the definition of “perdition” can be either secular or religious.

 

More broadly, I wondered:

 

 

What kind of soul sees benefit in actively reducing human potential — and what would Jesus, Mohammed, Yaweh, Krishna, and Buddha say in response?

 

 

The answer (of course) is that Narcissism doesn’t care — the “Hey, look at me” inclination excludes all else

 

I suppose it is ego stoking (not “stroking”) — and often monetarily rewarding — to have a large following that lingers on one’s every blathered and lathered word.  Like being the Chief Sheep in a pack of mange ridden, brain stunted same.

 

More admirable spirits, however, would be mortified were their reputations for determined stupidity, rather than insight and elevation.

 

 

The moral? — Great souls are few, and the shallowly prominent rest seem to wallow in spiritually unwarranted self-adulation

 

Making the distinction between the two groups that much easier to appreciate.

 

Worth takes time and inner effort.  Fame is an unlikely visitor.