"Together, these findings suggest that claims of victimhood may be caused not only by objective states of suffering, but also by the characteristics of the people making claims of victimhood. While we may not be able to control such traits in others, it is useful to examine some of the environmental factors that incentivize the expression of grievances."
"The Five Laws Of Stupidity," based on the work of Carlo M. Cipolla, an Italian economic historian. (15-minute YouTube.)
"Bonhoeffer‘s Theory of Stupidity". (6-minute YouTube.)
Awww . . . the marshmallow test seemed so tidy, so attractive, so appropriate, and so powerful.
Oops.
Morgan Housel presents ten stories to illustrate more general conclusions. The first story ends this way:
It’s easy to underestimate how social norms stall change, even when the change is an obvious improvement. One of the strongest forces in the world is the urge to keep doing things as you’ve always done them, because people don’t like to be told they’ve been doing things wrong. Change eventually comes, but agonizingly slower than you might assume.
Nice essay.
Every time I encounter a Great Cause™ supporter in real life or through various media, I am reminded of Ayatollah Khomeini’s dictum that “There is no joy in Islam.” Nothing can be savored or enjoyed unless it serves The Cause, and no accomplishment is worth acknowledging unless it is for the good of The Cause. That includes the pursuit of knowledge and things like astronomy. . . .
I write stories and love stories with a sense of wonder, with an intake of breath for the beauty of a moment, with amazement at something so neat as a full eclipse, with awe at the Milky Way stretching across the dark sky in midwinter, starlight blue on the snow.
Don’t let your cause kill that. Don’t ever let go of wonder, and laughter, for the sake of a cause. The world’s too serious to lose joy.
While the mama duck watches patiently some fine humans rescue her seven ducklings.
Not the "only," but surely always one of the most important.
Some good speculation, but missing one cause I think is underestimated. The Baby Boomers--who, in the main, the people who still run things in this country, are Old. Old people are cranky, generally, and in the Boomers case they are also vastly disappointed by the world they thought they'd have by now and the world they actually have.
Charles Murray authors a fine tribute to the late P. J. O'Rourke.
Didn't help me one tiny bit, but your mileage may vary.