unexpected lesson
Sep. 10th, 2022 08:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
johncomicWhen The Queen died a couple days ago, there was [to no one's surprise] a marked reaction around the world. Furthermore, I was not surprised to see some people hail this as a good thing... because I have seen increasing displeasure with British royalty expressed online over the last few years.
But I have seen some people expressing actual delight in her passing, as cause for celebration. And this does not sit well with me — I find it tasteless, at the very least. And I learned something about myself I wasn't quite clear on before: I believe that death should not be disrespected. [Hard for me to argue an objective case for this, it's just how I feel.]
It occurs to me now that even the death of someone I hate will not cheer me. Most of my life I have said that I don't hate anyone, it's just not in my nature. Nowadays I know this is no longer true: in the past decade, I have come to hate certain political figures, one in particular. I even wish him harm, after a lifetime of wishing no one harm. But I know now that, if he were to die, I would feel relief, and a certain sense of justice... but I would not rejoice. I would find even his death a sombre thing.
Not really going anywhere with this. I just didn't realize til now that this is one of my sub-rational beliefs.
But I have seen some people expressing actual delight in her passing, as cause for celebration. And this does not sit well with me — I find it tasteless, at the very least. And I learned something about myself I wasn't quite clear on before: I believe that death should not be disrespected. [Hard for me to argue an objective case for this, it's just how I feel.]
It occurs to me now that even the death of someone I hate will not cheer me. Most of my life I have said that I don't hate anyone, it's just not in my nature. Nowadays I know this is no longer true: in the past decade, I have come to hate certain political figures, one in particular. I even wish him harm, after a lifetime of wishing no one harm. But I know now that, if he were to die, I would feel relief, and a certain sense of justice... but I would not rejoice. I would find even his death a sombre thing.
Not really going anywhere with this. I just didn't realize til now that this is one of my sub-rational beliefs.
