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James Martin, S.J.April 06, 2016

‘Coarsened” is a word you’ve probably heard more and more frequently in the past few years. It’s most often applied to the state of public discourse in our country, particularly in the political sphere.

Lately, some of our political candidates have been calling one another names, using schoolyard taunts and shouting over one another during televised debates. There have even been articles written that used insights from child psychologists to aid parents hoping to teach their children that this is not how adults should behave. On top of that, your social media feeds (Facebook, Twitter and the like) may be filled with increasing levels of invective. Even in our own church many Catholics seem ready to call another person a “bad Catholic” at the drop of a biretta.

You can be excused for feeling that having a conversation on a controversial topic might prove dangerous for your emotional, psychological, spiritual and maybe even physical health. You might get slugged.

All this reminds me of some great advice I once heard from the Jesuit historian John W. O’Malley, author of several books, including The First Jesuits and What Happened at Vatican II? But it isn’t an aperçu from St. Ignatius Loyola or one of the early Jesuits. Rather, this wisdom came from an older Jesuit whom John had once known. They were three rules for getting along in Jesuit community: (1) You’re not God; (2) This isn’t heaven; (3) Don’t be a jerk. That last one was originally in saltier language—using a synonym for a kind of donkey—but it still works.

The first two are essential for life in general. “You’re not God” has multiple implications. First, you can’t change most things, so stop trying. Second, you’re not in charge, so stop acting as if you were. And third, you don’t know everything, so stop acting as if you do. It brings calm, perspective and humility.

The second dictum, “This isn’t heaven” can help to reduce the complaining you do. For example, if you live in a Jesuit community where the roof leaks (as ours once did, in my room, for several months) or where the elevator apparently runs up and down on a stream of molasses (as ours has always done), you are reminded to complain less because, well, this isn’t heaven.

But it’s that last apothegm that I wish more people remembered when they enter into public discussions: “Don’t be a jerk.” Now, I’m the first to admit that I break that rule from time to time (probably more than I know, since I may not notice it). But today a surprising number of people think nothing of attacking people anonymously on Twitter, calling fellow politicians terrible names and maligning their integrity during debates, posting mean comments on Facebook and shouting over one another on talk shows—basically, being a jerk. And jerkiness is contagious, I think. Seeing public figures shouting on television probably encourages people to do it in their private lives. At the very least, it does not encourage charitable behavior.

How does one avoid that contagion? Here’s where some other traditional bits of wisdom can help. First, always give people the benefit of the doubt. Believe it or not, St. Ignatius placed that simple maxim at the beginning of his Spiritual Exercises, where he called it a “Presupposition.” “Every good Christian,” he wrote, “ought to be more eager to put a good interpretation on a neighbor’s statement than to condemn it.” Amen.

Second, avoid ad hominem arguments—that is, attacks on the person. The difference here is between “I think your argument is incorrect because…” and “You’re a bad Catholic.” Avoiding that will ratchet down emotion significantly and help all interactions go more smoothly.

Finally, an overtly spiritual approach: Ask God to help you see others the way God sees them. The old adage that everyone is fighting a battle (or carrying a cross) is helpful. In the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius invites us to imagine the Trinity looking down on all of humanity with love. The next time you’re angry with someone, think of the Trinity gazing down on the person you’re about to flame.

None of this should prevent people from discussing things, whether one-on-one, online, in public, on television, even on debate nights. You can always disagree. You can even disagree vehemently.

Just don’t be a jerk.

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William Rydberg
7 years 11 months ago
Amen...
Bruce Snowden
7 years 11 months ago
I like a lot "Don't Be A Jerk." For me the designation "Ass" is better relating to the "coarsened" behavior of our time.. Reminds me of a stanza from "Would You Like To Swing On A Star" from the 1940's Bing Crosby's "Going My Way." singing about mules (asses) (jerks) "Or would you rather be a mule? an (ass,?) a (jerk?) A mule, an (ass,) a (jerk) is an animal with long funny ears, it kicks up at anything it hears. Its back is brawny, its brain is weak, its just plain stupid with a stubborn streak ...". Oh my! Have I fallen into the same trap of "coarsened" converse? Well, they certainly are Jerks!
Mary Santerre
7 years 11 months ago
Mom used to say, "There's no Heaven on Earth." While I took-in this reflection as a child, I have come to regard it differently as an adult. Not once have I ever thought to view this from an entitlement point of view. I believe that there IS Heaven on Earth. I know this to be true, as I see it in nature, in a smile or act of kindness, in my feeling of freedom and peace as I inhale a salty breeze. I believe it all depends on the glasses we choose to wear today.
Paul Cottle
7 years 10 months ago

I just posted this essay on the wall outside my office. Luther may have needed 95 Theses to start the Reformation, but Martin's Three Bullet Points - "You are not God", "This is not Heaven" and "Don't be a jerk" - should be just right for my Physics Department at a secular university.

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