Whom the Gods Would Destroy, They First Tease with Political Incorrectness

This article has been updated at https://greggzegarelli.com/adversity/whom-the-gods-would-destroy-they-first-tease-with-political-incorrectness/

Let's get one thing straight: Words matter. Lincoln's prose in The Gettysburg Address, Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" oratory, or just about anything Shakespeare, prove that words matter.

But, then again, let me tell you a story.

My eldest child was offending (aka, "teasing") my youngest child with words, and my youngest child began to cry. I did the "good parent" thing, of course, "correcting" my eldest child. But, then I also corrected my youngest child. To this second correction, my wife exclaimed, "Why correct the little one, who didn't do anything." Maybe.

In this story, our eldest child was corrected for failing in the virtue of discipline. Our eldest child, like many siblings, could not temper the natural temptation to prey on our youngest child. But, our youngest child also failed in the discipline of filtering the words of someone whose sole goal was to conduct mind control.

Alas, if we should see it, both children failed in discipline. The eldest child was corrected for teasing, and, yes, the youngest child was corrected, well, simply for allowing the state of being teased.

My standard retort for teases is, "What? You're really going to let that person get into your mind and control you?" It can be a bit heady for a child, but, in fair portion properly implemented, I think it's better to start young, to get ahead of it.

In fact, I might have rewarded my youngest child for a more virtuous and disciplined response; to wit:

• An A+ reward for simply ignoring the attempted tease;
• An A for a simple nonchalant pause-and-glance reaction;
• An A- for an eye roll;
• Perhaps a B for a "sticks and stones" retort;
• Maybe a C for a fair moment of anger or crying.

But, to dwell on something with anger or sadness (or any other negative personal effect) after a full and fair opportunity to recompose, an F. No one is perfect, but virtue says that anything less than an A+ game invites a correction to improvement.

I should add that, in my story, my wife warmly brings a different school of a more sensitive "new math" with her psychology degree, but that's my story, as Dad, and I'm sticking with it.

We're building human vessels. If we are building a ship, it's not the water on the outside that sinks our ship, it's the water that we let in: "Don't let the water into your head, secure the vessel of your mind."

And, it doesn't matter how big the ship is, or how vast the ocean, it only matters that the vessel is secure. An insecure vessel is a dangerous thing. Wouldn't we rather be on a small secure floating dinghy than a sinking insecure cruise ship?

Thusly, and incidentally, you will note that I did not use the common expression that my eldest "caused" my youngest to cry. The "cause" is really the hole in the vessel, not the water, because the vessel must anticipate its intended environment. It's not the water's fault that the vessel is insecure. Water is being water, and the vessel must secure itself in contemplation of the foreseeable environment.

So what does this have to do with "political correctness"? If we don't know, then we don't see the big hole in our vessel that is causing us to sink. Yes, water will try to get in for us all, but we know a lot of people are taking on water. It is obvious, because we simply watch the bailing—the more water, the more bailing.

Whom the Gods would destroy they first make mad. - Euripides

"Quod nos laedit et corrodit infirmitates nostras detegit." ("That which injures and corrodes us reveals our weaknesses."); "Multum vulnus, multum motus." ("Much wound, much reaction."); "Quo infirmior corpus est, hoc magis iniuriae." ("The weaker the body, the more injuries."); "Facile vulneratur, nimis tenerum corpus est." ("Too easily wounded, too tender a body."); "Nimium urere, nimium vulnera multa." ("Too many burns, too many wounds."); "Narrat expressio." ("Telling tells."); "Iniuriae nostrae produnt." ("Our injuries betray us."); "Contumeliae nostrae produnt." ("Our insults betray us.")

*?Gregg Zegarelli, Esq., earned both his Bachelor of Arts Degree and his Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His dual major areas of study were History from the College of Liberal Arts and Accounting from the Business School (qualified to sit for the CPA examination), with dual minors in Philosophy and Political Science. He has enjoyed Adjunct Professorships in the Duquesne University Graduate Leadership Master Degree Program (The Leader as Entrepreneur; Developing Leadership Character Through Adversity) and the University of Pittsburgh Law School (The Anatomy of a Deal). He is admitted to various courts throughout the United States of America.

Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.,?is Managing Shareholder of?Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group, PC.?Gregg is nationally rated as "superb" and has more than 35 years of experience working with entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes, including startups,?INC. 500, and publicly traded companies.?He is author of?One: The Unified Gospel of Jesus,?and?The Business of Aesop? article series, and co-author with his father,?Arnold Zegarelli, of?The Essential Aesop: For Business, Managers, Writers and Professional Speakers.?Gregg is a frequent lecturer, speaker and faculty for a variety of educational and other institutions.?

? 2018 Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.?Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn.

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