I must admit that I find myself depressed about the state of our union. When I lived in DC, I was tapped into the political scene in both Republican and Democratic administrations and often had robust and interesting discussions with friends and colleagues about politics. Sometimes discussions were quite spirited, but they were also open, interesting, and chock full of factual information. I benefited from hearing different points of view, and I understood why some friends voted for Reagan, or Bush, or Romney.
But this time it’s different.
My depression stems from the fact that so many Americans seem to have no regard for a person’s character—qualities that include respect, kindness, and humility. Today many Americans are OK with a candidate who says mean and degrading things about opponents, women, disabled people, veterans, and immigrants.
Crude and mean-spirited comments? No problem. Downright lies? Keep them coming.
The recent rude and cruel name-calling has opened up a pandora’s box of vitriol, which, as my mom used to say, is singularly unattractive.
Americans used to care about good vs evil, truth-telling vs false witness,
When the historian Richard White writes about the Gilded Age, he explains that judgments of character had less to do with honesty and integrity and more to do with getting things done while exhibiting strength. Many studies show that in today’s world Americans tend to put character aside and vote for candidates who can promote their economic and social well-being.
I have seen evidence of this theory. Some of my acquaintances care only about one thing—lower taxes. Many of these same people own more than one house and are quite well off financially. They have chosen to put their own personal pocketbooks ahead of every other issue—the environment, healthcare, education, gun control and, of course, character.
So perhaps what is happening in today’s world is people are prioritizing one issue. For some, it’s taxes. For others, it’s right to life. For others, it’s exactly the opposite—a woman’s right to choose. And for still others, it’s immigration and so on.
It is easy to see why people get disillusioned about politics.
The Stoics claimed that character consisted of four core virtues: Wisdom—the ability to make sound choices; justice—the ability to determine what is fair; courage—the ability to “do the right thing” even when there is personal risk; and temperance—the ability to control emotions and impulses and exhibit self-control.
I say the Stoics got it right. It makes sense to examine all aspects of a candidate’s character. It is easy to become self-absorbed, and it is hard to be courageous. Just ask the many subscribers to The Washington Post who have canceled their subscriptions just hours after the paper declared that it would not endorse a candidate this year or in subsequent years. Bezos made that decision because he has billions of dollars in government contracts with both Amazon and Blue Origin. He didn’t want to risk any backlash should Trump win the election. Self-absorbed and lacking courage? My case rests.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Only a man’s character is the real criterion of worth.” Let’s be sure to put character on the ballot when we consider the candidates who are worthy of our vote next Tuesday.
Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.
Linda Cades says
Absolutely right, Maria.
When my kids were in our local schools, they participated in a program called Character Counts. Yes, it does. That program was designed to help kids learn how to be their best selves, to care about and help others, and to prepare them to become adults who make positive contributions to their community. There were six “pillars” of character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship.
As you decide for whom to vote, measure the candidates against these qualities. The people we elect make decisions that affect all of our lives. Those six pillars of character describe the people I want making those decisions for my family.
Maria W. Grant says
Linda, thanks so much for your insightful comments. Love the six pillars of character.
Maggie andersen says
Amen, Sister! One of your best. Maggie
Maria W. Grant says
Thanks Maggie!
Reed Fawell 3 says
As usual, I find Ms. Grants work long on proclaimed virtue and short on fact based reality.
For example, this:
“I have seen evidence of this theory. Some of my acquaintances care only about one thing—lower taxes. Many of these same people own more than one house and are quite well off financially. They have chosen to put their own personal pocketbooks ahead of every other issue—the environment, healthcare, education, gun control and, of course, character.”
The facts are:
The world’s environment is going down the tubes by reason of heavily premature conversion to, and over-reliance on Green Energy, that is bankrupting US and European families and businesses, while giving everyone else a pass to pollute. As to health, American’s are sicker that ever before by reason a broken health care system. 70% of our youth is unfit for military service. About 74 percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight, according to the CDC. That includes nearly 43 percent who are considered obese. In the 10 years leading up to the pandemic, feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness—as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors—increased by about 40% among young people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Birth rates, for the first time in American history, have fallen below replacement level of 2.1. Since 2007, TFR has declined from 2.12, just above the replacement level set by demographic tradition at 2.10 births per woman, to 1.67 in 2022, leading many to speculate that the United States has now entered a sustained period of below-replacement fertility. All this by a regulatory system built and mostly controlled by democrats since the 1960s.
Education in America is in Free Fall collapse, particularly public education. Nearly half of our high school graduates are functionally illiterate. Most have little more than 8th grade educations. Elite education is also in free fall as witnessed by the growing illiteracy in history, math, writing, faith, and western culture and literature, generally, increasingly now playing out on our public streets, quads, and squares. College degrees are increasingly near worthless, or worse for severely hobbling students with debt, most all controlled by democrats.
In highest murder rates in America are in areas with the strictest gun control laws, proving the collapse of western culture in many of our biggest cities, most all controlled by democrats, a problem now on steroids by a emigration system broken by democrats.
So what is their solution for the decades of abysmal failure? Why scapegoating, of course, including smearing the character of others, calling them fascists and garbage.
Maria Grant says
Reed, thanks for writing. Please tell us how we can repair the situation.
Reed Fawell 3 says
Thank you, Maria –
Anne below replied “Odd response.”
That is a positive sign. Odd is good, showing potential for great, as odd is most always a critical element of the seminal defined as great.
And so I am for now reminded of Parzival, the medieval knight who spent his young life Jousting, including killing other knights, in search of the Holy Grail and princess whose father the King guarded the Holy Grail. For long ago the Grail had vanished and never reappeared despite the many knights of King Arthur’s court Jousting all around in their quest for it. And, finally with the King on this deathbed, Parzival, moved by the tenor and beauty of princess, asked the King “How are you”, and changed the world. This could be said to be the rebirth of the human spirit.
Reed Fawell 3 says
I suggest that it typically is wise to beware of the virtues as expressed by many. This is tricky business. For one example, among many, overwrought compassion has destroyed much of America’s public education. Life is hard. We must be made tough, each in our own way, to live our life well. So education must be made hard too, to at least match the challenge all kids will face.
Reed Fawell 3 says
In America’s long broken education system, one wayward element of Compassion’s Dark Side is inflated grades. Here, one often needs to stop and clear one’s head, before one asks simple questions like: Are inflated grades more dangerous and damaging than inflated prices?
One answer might be that inflated prices can be fixed through a relatively short economic cycle. In contrast, inflated grades may destroy the lives of generations of American, and here we refer to all kinds of Americans, given the collateral damage inflated grades can inflict on everyone in the neighborhood. For many, inflated grades destroy its victims search for merit, ambition, confidence, competence and truth, and inflated grades so spread their poison far and wide throughout society, generally. Inflated grades promise utopia. Utopia again and again has proven itself to be a false god that leads its true believers into dystopia.
Now, emerging truths are increasingly making clear that inflated grades now are a lie sending generations of our kids out into the world grossly unprepared. Fed a diet of lies about their competence for their entire lives, they far too easily become road kill to the reality that typically will find them eventually. This happens over and over in history. The 20th century this made clear. Are we now as a society reaching a tipping point into that dystopia again?
Reed Fawell 3 says
Now, Maria, since this thread seemingly has run out of steam, I will add only one or two more comments on the Dark Side of Compassion and all the immense harm it has done to our young in America’s public secondary schools and colleges.
When a student has been given inflated grades in high school, by reason of ill informed ideology or favor such as legacy, they will too often be accepted in a college for which they must then compete with other students who scored very substantially higher on their test scores. This far too often sets them up to fail not only in school but also in life. And most in fact do fail to learn, and they know it, and every one else knows it, and they can’t keep up and they splinter off into anxious and angry tribal groups, despite the falsely inflated grades they will get in that college. The odds are great these kids also will fail professionally after graduation at far higher rates than if they had attended a college whose students had test scores with standards similar to their own where they would have excelled not only in college and graduate school but also in life. This has been proven time and time again and it gives such power to DEI, which to often only aggravates and inflames the problem. The results are a sick, anxious, and angry society like the one we are living in today.
Here the books to read are many, but the great scholar Thomas Sowell covers the waterfront.
Maria W. Grant says
Reed,
Thanks for your comments. Much to think about.
Anne C Stalfort says
Odd response.