In a recent online conversation, the question was asked: “With all the other things going on in the world, why are you quibbling about XYZ?” It doesn’t really matter what XYZ was, the question about quibbling needed to be addressed.
True there are issues of tremendous importance facing the nation and the world. Attending to any one of them would no doubt raise a storm over why all the others were being ignored. Everyone’s highest priority cannot be the highest priority for everyone else. Most of us have two or three highest priorities and other pressing issues are monitored in the background, if at all. Perhaps you are among those who have been angrily harangued by someone furious that you don’t share their highest issue priority. It doesn’t matter what the subject of conversation is, someone will complain that with all the other things going on in the world, why are people quibbling over XYZ?
Not every subject of genuine conversation has to deal with pressing global issues. Academic scholarship and scientific research on arcane, obscure, and impractical matters may seem an irresponsible avoidance of what is truly important, but they may be probing creation’s deepest secrets and meaning helping to determine the future of humanity and creation itself.
Equally true, humans need and enjoy small talk about matters personal, local, entertaining, and unrelated to pressing global issues. It’s an essential way to maintain emotional equilibrium and mental well being. Conversation about things seemingly trivial is not an avoidance of the great social, economic and political questions of the day. It’s a way to keep issues in perspective, creating boundaries that separate a person from personal accountability for the outcome of national or global issues over which they might have strong opinions, some influence, but no control. Even those in highest office need time away to rest, reflect, and take a break. It’s why presidents go to Camp David, spend weekends at the beach, or have a hobby.
So, I don’t believe our online conversation was quibbling over XYZ when it should have been attending to greater things. The subject of XYZ was worthy of conversation for many reasons of its own. It didn’t signal an unwillingness to dive into weightier matters. It was just he subject of the days’s conversation. Tomorrow will be different. For example, I’m also part of a monthly gathering of five or six where we do talk about weightier matters. At our last gathering we talked about local land use and economy, institutional racism and injustices, archeology, and the history of moral development. We also talked about electric cars, old cars, funny things that happen in court, snacks, dogs, and good places to eat.
It doesn’t mean all conversations are of equal value. Some are ignorantly inane. Some are gossipy sharing of someone else’s personal life that should not be shared. Some are filled with hateful prejudice and threatened violence. Some are not conversations at all, just someone pontificating to an otherwise silent group. Finally there is decent evidence that an enormous portion of the population, perhaps even a majority, are ignorant of pressing national and global issues – some by choice and some for other reasons.. Their world view doesn’t include those issues and they can’t be force fed or humiliated into paying attention.
It’s also true that we can sometimes be guilty of straining gnats while avoiding camels pretending that the gnats are important and the camels don’t exist. Florida seems to be the current butt of jokes about it. I suspect we are all guilty of it from time to time.