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    The Dawn of Patheticism

    Being Frank
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    I’ve written about the notion of “-isms” in past articles, whereby we add that suffix to any given noun and instantly create a word representing a situation, a condition or a principle. There are those who may consider that to be somewhat high-browed, sectarian or perhaps even a bit condescending. And that may very well be the case. In and of themselves, “-isms” tend to be generational in nature. They rise up within the prevailing social winds to rally around an idea or sociopolitical movement. Some cross generational lines lasting centuries; others die on the vine along with whatever fad or passing issue that brought it to life.

    But there are a few instances where an “-ism” may come to pass through a combination of unchecked egos armed with a harebrained idea or some questionable theme. If the conditions are right and they’re able to find enough like-minded narcissists with a predisposition for sycophantic behavior to go along for the ride, a new ideology will take root. So as I was watching the news the other morning, a series of seemingly unrelated clips were being shown pertaining to some embarrassingly absurd actions or statements that were unfolding across the US. And that’s when it dawned on me:

    We’ve entered a new Age of Patheticism.

    Yes, that’s actually a word, though it’s seldom used. The reason I bring it up is because “-isms” are typically used to indicate an ideological coalition; a group of people who share similar ideas, beliefs or goals based usually on a fragment of reason. But if you take into consideration the mind-numbing amount of senseless and irresponsible people who currently hold positions of power or influence, you cannot help but see that standards for quality, decency and social understanding are on a precipitous decline. So Patheticism, in today’s society, is an “-ism” that is painfully indicative of a lamentable rise in woeful inadequacy. To quote the seminal character of Forrest Gump: Stupid is as stupid does.

    So the dilemma we have is one that is hard to ignore. We’ve allowed this wave of patheticism to fester and grow unchecked. This isn’t something new; most egalitarian societies aim to be on the vanguard against those who would use violence and subterfuge to dismantle the beliefs or accepted behaviors of the majority. In most cases, such uprisings would no doubt be suppressed by a general populace supplied with the tools of a republican society to countermand and eventually invalidate the rising opposition. It may not always be swift or decisive, but the widespread public sentiment would prevail. So how does such a stable and time-honored societal process become so weak and detached?

    Two words: Apathy and overreliance – and often working in tandem. For although apathy may arise from a general lack of interest, it still maintains a level of responsibility (albeit minimal) for fear of losing the protections and benefits granted by the society in which it exists. But when combined with overreliance, any concerns that apathy may possess are easily relinquished under the belief that there are a set of rules or guardrails wielded by people placed in positions of authority that no one, no matter who they are or what side of the aisle they belong to, would dare to oppose. Now, do not misinterpret such an overreliance as being a matter of trust or that of faith. Over a year ago, I wrote about the lineage those two words carry within their nature and how they both navigate in collaborative waters:

    The value of words has dropped significantly over the past few generations. With words being one of the most transacted commodities on Earth, why do we ascribe so little value to them?

    For that, we have to look into the matter of trust. And for that, we first need to address the matter of truth. For truth is the vehicle that gives rise to faith. Trust is our pragmatic way of putting faith to the test. The more valid the truth, the stronger our faith in it and thus the amount of trust it engenders.

    And therein lies the essential heart of the matter. Because when the mechanisms of a society rely on the validity of their words as a testament to their beliefs, trust provides for us a way to put our faith to the test. And when the results prove to be true, overreliance then becomes a pointless cover for fear.

    Final Thoughts

    Patheticism as I see it, is nothing more than a house of cards built on a premise of overwhelming trust based on a set of checks and balances deemed immutable and somehow protected from corruption, dishonesty, deep-seeded resentments or bribery that no one would ever think to cross. It’s the sociological equivalent of the HMS Titanic – unrivaled and unsinkable until a force that many could see yet few could recognize its power, guts it in plain sight.

    The enduring quality of any society lies in its ability to appreciate its strengths while acknowledging its shortcomings, warts and all. It also must rely on its capacity to accept its flaws and dedicate its resources (and yes, that includes you) to help improve its conditions for the benefit of all. The strength of a nation lies in its communal ties. More importantly, its strength resides in its ability to recognize the people within these various communities. People who are tied together by similarities of religion, ethnicity, race or personal preferences, yet inextricably bound by a singular notion – that of being part of one country. Like steel, a nation gathers its strength and resiliency from the various elements that form its structure. The power lies in knowing how to bring these disparate elements together to make it stronger and more durable in the face of pressure or gravity.

    I can only hope that each of us will take a moment to think of what we can do to make Patheticism be nothing more than a fleeting generational thing; a cautionary tale of what comes about when we dismiss the very elements that make up our strength. Because together we stand; divided, we don’t just fall – we fail.

    6 responses to “The Dawn of Patheticism”

    1. Maria Potter Avatar
      Maria Potter

      Dear Frank,
      This is a great, and equally disquieting, piece. You named something we feel but rarely articulate. You’re right: we are living through an age of pathos without proportion.
      As I sat with your words, I kept thinking about the other “isms” quietly braiding themselves into our collective mood, those subtle forces shaping how we think, feel, and even perceive ourselves. Patheticism, as you describe it, doesn’t stand alone; it feels born of a century crowded with competing gods.
      It begins, perhaps, with Narcissism, that mirror that multiplies instead of reflects. We’ve learned to perform identity rather than inhabit it, to curate instead of confess. From there it slides easily into Consumerism, promising transcendence through acquisition, teaching us to buy symbols of peace rather than practice it.
      Hovering above all this hums Algorithmism, an invisible clergy of code deciding what we see, read, and desire. It replaces curiosity with prediction, and suddenly even our wonder feels pre-packaged.
      Beneath it all, Relativism whispers that truth is merely a matter of taste. When everything becomes “someone’s truth,” conviction begins to sound intolerant, and the courage to believe in something becomes suspect.
      Then, completing the circle, comes Performativism, that new theater where sincerity feels almost outdated. We no longer simply feel, we broadcast our feelings, editing them for approval. Our grief has lighting, our joy has hashtags, and our anger must trend to count.
      Together, these forces create the atmosphere you captured so well, that weary empathy, that craving to care but not knowing where to place it. Perhaps Patheticism is not a surrender, but a symptom, a quiet rebellion against emotional inflation, a human plea to feel again without spectacle.
      Still, I sense something gentler stirring beneath it all, an emerging Humanism, stripped of its academic polish, reborn in people relearning how to listen, how to sit in silence without reaching for distraction.
      Your piece feels like a kind of map, tracing the fault lines running through our culture. Maybe by naming them, as you’ve begun to do, we can start to find our way back toward wholeness, not through grand movements, but through small, deliberate acts of attention.
      I keep returning to your line about compassion becoming performative. You touched a nerve there. If we could reclaim compassion as a private gesture again, unshared, unliked, unseen, perhaps that’s where humanism might begin.

      Thank you for writing it, Frank. It isn’t just a post; it’s a mirror tilted toward our time, asking us to look past the reflection.

      Reply
      1. Being Frank Avatar
        Being Frank

        Maria – thank you so much for your wonderfully insightful words; I was so happy to see how the article brought about such reflections. And you are so right; Patheticism does not stand alone; it’s an amalgam of emotions and concerns that slowly find their voice. The etymology of Patheticism comes from pathos; a word once brought into existence to denote suffering, it grew to accommodate the nature of our humanity, expressing its many derivations while serving to represent our narcissistic nature to convey ridicule or derision.

        Your assessments concerning the many layers within Patheticism are spot on. Narcissism, Consumerism, Algorithmism, Relativism, Performativism – they each represent a part of ourselves that look upon the nature of our growth, our desires, and our endless search for perfection and meaning. Each becomes a pantheon in which we may revel or revile those aspects of our humanity. The latest of these is Algorithmism – the ultimate way for us to further compartmentalize our species through the use of higher mathematics and formulae, while relinquishing our ability to decipher wonderment. In the long term, it will reduce it to a audiovisual representation with emotions that can be easily judged within milliseconds and then forgotten.

        Another “-ism” that should be noted here is Populism. The beauty of a community is that it exists for the sake of celebrating and safeguarding the individuals at its center. As communities recognize their value and uniqueness, they grow to include other communities. They recognize that the power of diversity not only forges new alliances but also provides greater insights into the genesis of their own social foundations. If communities are the blocks used to build a house, then its people are the mortar that keeps them together and provides unity. As such, Populism becomes the wrecking ball. Its aim is to ensure that one community sees another community as the obstacle to its success and survival.

        As I noted in the article, the nature of “-isms” can be generational or transitory. But you brought up one very important “-ism”, that being Humanism. It recognizes that the rise and fall of our species depends on its ability to discern, determine and develop. Even from a religious standpoint, the notion that God helps those who help themselves is a reminder that we’ve been imbued with the necessary tools, materials, and intellect to forge ahead with our growth. Our focus should be to unify rather than divide; to understand, relish, and celebrate the various gifts we each possess to make this world a better place for all.

        Thanks as always for taking the time to share your insights. They’ve added a polish to the article that I greatly appreciate!

        Reply
    2. chaspierro42 Avatar
      chaspierro42

      Frank,

      Your essay on Patheticism is so timely. I cannot help but agree that standards for quality, decency and social understanding are on a precipitous decline. The latest clear example for me ironically is a new ‘ism’ —> Mamdamism. In a city where I found my young roots and returned to in later life and established my career for more than 20 years and thoroughly enjoyed my journey on this planet, apathy and overreliance appear to rule the day.

      I used your word* apathy perhaps to describe all those folks who may have kept their blinders on & never made it to the polling booths in NYC last week. At the same time for sure there was a majority of folks who were driven by *overreliance on unrealistic promises that are deeply rooted in a political platform that has proven to fail time and time again.

      It is sad that no real alternative choices were presented by the GOP or ‘desperate’ Independent nominees. Perhaps the time has come for a 3rd party to spring forth. One that values the great lesson that is taught in our Scottish Rite 16th Degree where I served in office as Sovereign Prince in 2010.[image: 32EagleFreemasons emblem logo.jpg] ..In that degree, the great King Daius speaks to the nobles of his Court and offers a great reward to the one who can answer his question as to what is it that is the strongest and holds the most powerful sway over people. Various Court Nobles present their cases, all in dramatic and convincing style. One answers ‘*… **the King to be sure!. *Another goes on to expound on the virtues and* ‘Power of wine.’ *

      A third makes a very strong and somewhat strong case and says ‘… No, it** is woman who is Lord & Master**. * And there is another reknown King who is present in the Court that day named Croesus, the so-called richest man in the world. He eloquently makes his case professing the widely accepted notion as to *the power of Gold.

      Finally it is Sovereign Prince Zerubbabel.who presents the last case –> * ‘… *Truth is strong and endures forever! With Truth there is no partiality or preference. Truth does only what is righteous.To Truth belongs the strength, kingdom, power and majesty of all ages. Blessed be the God of Truth! Great is TRUTH and MIGHTY above all things.’

      When he ends, there is silence. Darius then asks Zerubbabel to step forth and commends him saying ‘** Zerubbabel**, your words have caused me to *think deeply. **You are the most wise, and you shall sit at my side, be my cousin and receive the reward. **Henceforth, TRUTH shall be the tie that binds **all treaties. Great is TRUTH and MIGHTY above **all things!*

      Frank, of all the 32 degrees that I have witnessed in my journey through the 32 degrees of Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, I hold that lesson to be at the top of my list of guideposts. I look forward to being with you again soon.

      ð?¥° Chas

      Reply
      1. Being Frank Avatar
        Being Frank

        Dear Chas – as always, I greatly appreciate your thoughts! Truth is like love; we cherish it for its passion and deep commitment, but sometimes find it a bit difficult to uphold as a promise. Over 24 years ago, I wrote an article entitled The Art of Honesty. In it, I wrote that truth has the ability to shape the future, condemn the present or exonerate the past. It can bring release from a nightmare of doubt or drive us into madness by shattering our illusions of perfection. We are all fully aware of the implications that truth brings with it, yet we wield it with abandon. As far as politics are concerned, I noted in that same article that in a world where honesty is measured in degrees, business practices certainly don’t rank as the worst offenders (I leave politicians to carry that burden.) It was a somewhat tongue-in-cheek assessment of the political climate of the time, but it has proven to be more and more prophetic as we move forward.

        To borrow from your quote ascribed to Sovereign Prince Zerubbabel (blessed be the God of truth), I would counter to say that God is truth, for we could never see Him as anything less without undermining the very meaning of the word. As you noted regarding the recent elections in NY, apathy could be a descriptor for what transpired, but perhaps more so from other aspects of apathy such as a lack of concern – and that leads me to think about the reactive mind.

        If a person’s aim is to use their vote do whatever they can to keep someone in opposition out of office, then they turn their vote into a cudgel to smash the opposition’s chance to succeed. That is a form of apathy, for they lack an interest or concern for the consequences of their vote other than enforcing their own beliefs. A vote should be the outcome of what you have weighed in as the best course of action for everyone within a community; not merely your own. Now mind you, this is all deeply hypothetical, as I did not follow the campaigns to know one person from the other aside from the myriad soundbites that have been floating in cyberspace, or the never-ending portrayals in news clips or comedy shows. Aside from providing some form of entertainment, they hold little value other than trying to manipulate undecided voters. But I do agree that unrealistic promises in politics are about as meaningful and far-reaching as claiming that you can walk on water while you’re wandering in about four inches of it. But that becomes the part of spectacle that we’ve come to expect and in many cases, want from politicians. And when a given candidate wins and eventually doesn’t live up to the hype, all you hear is “well, those were just campaign promises.” In other words, truth was never part of their platform. It’s situations like this that breed apathy and an unrealistic overreliance on a system that we believe will always be there to right the wrongs. If that same system is under the management of prior politicians who practiced that same form of campaigning, where does that leave us as a country?

        I certainly can’t answer such a question, nor could I expect anyone else to do the same. BUT, I would love to see a politician who could answer such a question, for it falls squarely in the purview of who and what they are, and what they have chosen to pursue as a life-long endeavor. I would prefer to hear a list of honest hopes than a litany of promises. At least the former is acknowledging their humanity first, while the latter only shares a clear intention to win.

        Thanks again for writing, Chas! I look forward to seeing you soon!

        Reply
    3. sweetsfuturistically1ce5c8f5ef Avatar
      sweetsfuturistically1ce5c8f5ef


      Frank, this is a very well written missive. You & I share two of the fundamental “isms”. This might go against the grain with some of your following, but I think that it needs to be said. You & I were in the seminary for many years studying for the priesthood. For us, Catholicism should be the most basic & fundamental “ism” in our (yours & mine) system of beliefs & values. For your readers, “Catholic” isn’t a cult of evil. Catholic means “universal” – hence, The Catholic Church is the Universal Church. We are Christian & try to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. We try to observe many of the laws & teachings of the Old Testament in The Bible, yet we temper our learning with all the things Jesus taught us to do (in the New Testament) to gain eternal life. Over many centuries, we saw that God The Father wasn’t a permissive parent! Morality was pretty strict for God’s chosen people back in the day. Jesus came to fulfill The Law; He didn’t come to change one iota of it. Some of your readers have a hard time with this administration. I get it! I had a hard time with the last one. Our last CATHOLIC President was the “poster child” for abortion – murdering of children in the womb. He wanted to codify THE RIGHT of mothers to use murder as birth control. There are some who will disagree with me. If we consider a growing child as a fetus (or just tissue) & cause HIS or HER death because of a mistake during a sexual encounter – we missed the boat, Frank! I believe that everyone has rights, but not the killing of innocents. The second “ism” that you & I share is Patriotism. Both of us spent a considerable amount of time in the Army. You were a Military Policeman; I was a tanker for 22 years. Respect for our country was pretty high back then. I think that it has returned again – in spades. Seeing the burning of our precious flag in the streets leaves me speechless. As I shared with you in a previous email, my unit relieved the Cav at the border in Germany so they could go to tank gunnery. I saw the poverty of Socialism/Communism from a vantage point few ever see. Land across the border was barren. When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, a deluge of people ran to the west. I didn’t see anyone rushing to the east! I hope that your blog reaches loads of people today. The America we love is being chipped away bit by bit by those who have no patriotism. I am glad that I am 72 years old (like you) and not 32 anymore. As the motto “One Nation Under God” becomes “Do Whatever You Want”, I believe that we will see a decline of good things from our Creator. America will become the “spitting image photograph” of what I saw across the German border.


      Phil Caterina / Georgia

      Reply
      1. Being Frank Avatar
        Being Frank

        Phil – thank you very much for sharing your thoughts. In this day and age, expressing your opinions and beliefs has become a reactive event instead of a learning moment, so I deeply appreciate your insights.

        You’re right in that we both have two fundamental ‘-isms’ that defined us at seminal moments in our lives, and helped define who we would be and how we would choose to live our lives. When it comes to Catholicism, it disturbs me greatly when I see Christians from other faiths taking offense at Catholics or denigrating them because of the sins or mistakes that some people of the cloth have committed. I would have assumed that they would follow the general precepts of Christianity in being mindful of passing judgement on others. It only serves to reveal that we all suffer from the same shortcomings from being human, and therefore our efforts should be focused on reconciliation and redemption and not condemnation or persecution. History has shown us that such attitudes always end badly.

        When it comes to Patriotism, that too represents a dual-edged word – the sword of justice and that of defense. Security comes from balance, and honor comes from always respecting and understanding the sacrifices that are made to ensure the safety and security of our nation and its people. It’s also understanding that blood shed in battle isn’t a badge of courage; it’s a byproduct of limited minds and ineffective leaders. You as well as others who frequent this blog have witnessed the horrors of war and bear the physical and emotional scars that always follow in the aftermath of battle. Siegfried Sassoon, the British war poet, veteran, and a survivor of World War I wrote a poem called “Suicide in the Trenches”:

        I knew a simple soldier boy
        Who grinned at life in empty joy,
        Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,
        And whistled early with the lark.

        In winter trenches, cowed and glum
        With crumps and lice and lack of rum,
        He put a bullet through his brain.
        No one spoke of him again.

        You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye
        Who cheer when soldier lads march by,
        Sneak home and pray you’ll never know
        The hell where youth and laughter go.

        I know that you have expressed how so many people don’t understand the weight veterans bear from having survived a conflict of war. Despite what many believe, war may be prevalent in our history as a species, but it is still the most unnatural of actions. The best phrase I’ve ever heard to express what war is is like is ‘War is Hell.’ You noted the social devastation you saw in Berlin, just as I’ve witnessed first-hand the struggles that survivors of authoritarian rule had to ensure. As veterans, we know that the wise choice for all concerned is peace; this is what we defend and what we stood for. For us, it’s more than waving flags or cheering at the sight of destructive power on display. So when we respect our country, we need to demand that our leaders also respect it as well. That they understand that collaboration, diplomacy, support and unity make a nation strong. Offensive mindsets only serve to deprive parents of their children, and strip hope and happiness from the hearts of those who faced the dreadful effects of the battlefield.

        Finally, Patriotism is like eyesight; some have a clear view while others live in a world clouded by bad lenses or the ravages of aging. I believe that we can elevate the notion – the ideal – of patriotism by clearing the air and helping people to see the results of its strength, honor and convictions, and learn of the high price that is paid when patriotism places its life on the line. As Siegfried Sassoon wrote, “Sneak home and pray you’ll never know the hell where youth and laughter go.”

        Thanks again so very much for sharing your thoughts. And from one veteran to another, thank you for all that you have endured – and still do – for the honor and defense of this nation.

        Reply

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