In watching “Game Change” on HBO this weekend about the rise and fall of Sarah Palin, as well as the controversy around Rush Limbaugh’s nasty slander of a decent young woman activist and law student, the scandal in Britain emanating from the hubris of Rupert Murdoch and his empire, the rise and fall of Glenn Beck after calling the President of the United States a racist, and the failure of Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and Donald Trump among the Republican presidential contenders, one character flaw seems to be held in common by them all – egotism.
Frank William Leahy, a Hall of Fame college football coach, once said that “Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.”
The Pirkei Avot (4:1) offers counsel to those of us whose egos rage out of control:
“Who is the wise one? The one who learns from all people. Who is the strong one? The one who subdues his/her passions. Who is the wealthy one? The one who is satisfied in what s/he has. Who is the honored one? The one that honors her/his fellows.”
Enid said:
Amen to Pirke Avot. They got it right centuries ago.
david said:
John —
I also watched Game Change this weekend. To me, though the movie showed how Sarah Palin got punished for her egotism and hubris, in the end, she didn’t fall — amazingly, she went on to be considered a viable contender for president of the United States (!), have a large following, make millions of dollars and be a constant figure in the news. I have no doubt that Rush Limbaugh, Donald Trump, etc., will continue on regardless of what we think of them. To me, the great challenge most of us face is to not be annoyed, discouraged and depressed when such bad behavior gets continually rewarded.
That said, the movie was thoroughly entertaining. Like hearing two hours of great gossip. If you haven’t read the book, check it out — it covers tjhe Democrats, too.
Mitch Gries said:
A good explanation of what has been happening in our body politic.