We have now spent a fair bit of time looking at the subject of “goodness.” It has become clear that positive revolution does not just happen because a culture adopts new technologies – it happens when the society adopts new attitudes and behaviors of goodness. Goodness, in my opinion, is the most powerful, least costly, and most under-rated agent of positive cultural change ever known.
The concept of goodness is compelling; the longing for goodness is universal; the results of goodness are forever; and most certainly, the urgent need for goodness is right now! But it takes the activation of the human will to implement the phenomenon of authentic goodness and to experience its revolutionary effects on a culture.
So, now is the time for a reality check! Goodness is not new. The opposite of goodness is not just “ho – hum.” The opposite of goodness is “badness” – the opposite of good is evil. Evil is not new either. Hypocrisy is not new either.
Everyone loves stories of goodness. Everyone wants to be seen as good, and righteous, and virtuous. You may not necessarily feel like you need to make the volitional choice to actually be good, and righteous, and virtuous – but you have the driving need to be seen as just a little more good, and righteous and virtuous than the person in the car next to you.
That is one of the reasons why social media platforms are so utilized. It would be nice if your friends would be just a bit envious or jealous of your spectacular family vacations or your fancy new boat, but at least you have a chance to show them the charity events your family have attended or the virtuous causes you promote. Just imagine what it must feel like to experience receiving a prestigious award for your “benevolent generosity” at a glitzy Hollywood charity gala. Participants just might even design and organize such events just for the showcasing.
Because “goodness” is such a universally desirable commodity, the perception of a person’s righteousness carries cultural advantage. It is admirable to be known as a virtuous citizen. It bestows on you a certain measure of clout in society. It may not singly win your next argument or negotiation, but it will probably at least give you the benefit of the doubt.
The interesting thing is, that a person can actually build up a stockpile of influence and clout using the generated commodity of perceived goodness. It becomes somewhat like a moral or cultural “Stock Market Exchange.” Alongside the stock listing at the “Stock Market Exchange” could be the initials “RR.” Those initials would not stand for “Rolls Royce,” but rather, for “Righteous Reputation.” The commodity can be created, the extended value can be increased by the owner, and once enhanced, that commodity of perceived virtue can be taken to the “bank.”
This commodity of “Righteous Reputation” is so desirous and so easily leveraged in matters of moral and cultural negotiations, that ambitious citizens will actually set out to willfully counterfeit the real essence and purity of “goodness” for their own personal gain. The only reason that a successful counterfeit of goodness can be produced is that somewhere in existence there is an “authentic goodness.”
The “authorities,” however, who manage the Cultural Stock Market, have no way to effectively regulate the authenticity of the commodity. Sometimes it is really difficult to determine whether the “RR” (Righteous Reputation) stocks are legitimate or phony. You can’t just pick up a stock certificate of morality, like you can pick up a $100 bill, hold it up to the light, and check for a watermark of legitimacy.
As I mentioned above, Hypocrisy is not a new concept. It is a person’s practice of faking moral beliefs or standards to which that person’s own behavior does not conform. You might even call it affected piety. The indulgence in hypocrisy is not just a slippery-slope convenience but is dangerous and deadly. It is a mask to fool the public and is highly effective, especially to gain political advantage and benefit.
During the period of history between 1750 and 1850, my Scotch-Irish ancestry had the opportunity to observe the English, as the Whig aristocrats boasted of their special benevolence regarding the common people. In exchange for the support of those people, they claimed to be championing initiatives to prevent the outbreaks of popular discontent that were causing instability and even revolution.
The more radical Tory party accused the Whigs of hypocrisy, alleging they were deliberately using the slogans of reform and democracy to boost themselves into power while preserving their precious position of privilege. They were trying to make it look like they were advancing the targeted group’s cause as a strategy for giving them control over that group. (Mercy me. The very idea! -- Can you even imagine a political party somewhere trying to utilize the feigned perception of goodness to advance control over a political situation and manipulate certain groups of voting citizens? Wow!)
That all reminds me of T.S. Eliot’s memorable quote: “The last temptation is the greatest treason; to do the right thing for the wrong reason.”
Writers of almost every era have warned civilizations of the destructive forces of individuals and groups setting out to willfully counterfeit the true essence of purity and goodness. Even the major religions of today denounce hypocrisy and the false virtue signaling:
Jesus: condemned the Scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites: “Woe to the Pharisees”
(Luke 11:37, Matt. 23:1, Matt 7: 5)
Islam; Koran 63rd Chapter: “. . . those who claim to be believers and rail against peacemakers thinking they are fooling God and others, but only fool themselves.”
Buddha: Dhammapada text: condemns a man who takes the appearance of the ascetic but is full of passion within.
The good news today, however, is that “Goodness is still Authentic” and no matter how folks try to twist, pervert, or counterfeit the glorious concept of “goodness,” it will always be the same as it was in the beginning, and our earthly journey from success to significance is, of necessity, traveled over the road of “goodness”:
Humans have a unique capacity to attain, through invitation and development, excellence of character, and based on that character they can choose to become involved in initiating attitudes and actions of kindness, generosity, fairness, sympathy, personal responsibility, virtue, justice and wisdom through their conduct. The genuine initiating and promoting of those attitudes and actions is what we will refer to as “goodness”.
Next Week: Goodness and Governance