Too often, we're just playing to our own crowd

This year, the selection of Ukrainian President Zelensky as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year was in my estimation obvious. To others, not so.

According to that magazine on Dec. 8, “…more than 3.9 million votes were cast by readers for whom they believe is the person or group with the greatest influence on the year. Iran’s protesters received 28% of the vote…Second place in the poll was K-pop sensation BTS…with 9% of the votes….Zelensky came in third place with 6% of the vote…Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine were ultimately named TIME’s 2022 Person of the Year, which is chosen by TIME’s editors….In fourth place was music superstar Taylor Swift….Swift received 2% of the reader vote…[Justice] Ketanji Brown Jackson…came in fifth place, with 2% of the vote.”

I applaud the votes for the Iranian protesters. I have followed the challenges facing Iranians since I had conversations with Iranian attorneys attending with me the Army JAG school in Virginia shortly before their revolution, and a long conversation in my Navy office with one of the American hostages in the American Embassy in Tehran. I hope we are helping the brave Iranian women as much as possible.

Before reading that Time article I had heard of Taylor Swift — but only barely. I had never heard of K-pop or the South Korean boy band BTS. Justice Jackson may well be a good addition to the court, along with her ideological opposite from the right, Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

At the time they likely made the selection, I would have ranked Zelensky first, the Iranian protesters second, and the Chinese protestors third. Today I would put in strong contention scientific achievements, especially the new fusion energy breakthrough. Its future impact may well be transformative in many ways.

My ignorance and thus dismissal of the choice of entertainers in that poll reminds me of the famous quote attributed to 17th century French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal, “You always admire what you don’t understand.” While I understand what Pascal was saying especially in the context of technology — I stand in awe of the latest discovery or invention about which I have little or no comprehension. However, I typically don’t stand raptured in front of most modern art — I am usually simply surprised and amused, in the sense of the little child in the fable of the emperor with no clothes.

Perhaps that is one deep-down revelation from that person of the year poll: we are afraid to criticize something or someone because our unstated perception is that others have the wisdom we don’t. We too often tailor our public remarks (pun intended) to the crowd we are then in, whether online or in person.

Someone please explain to me how boy band BTS “is the person or group with the greatest influence on the year.” We could look back on numerous entertainers of the past and find that they had an effect and often won awards in their fields, but would never say that Elvis, The Beatles or Michael Jackson were of the greatest influence in any given year. Hitler got the award in 1938 and Putin in 2007 — bad guys, but massively influential.

Thus, despite being an old guy, I can say with some confidence that neither Taylor Swift nor boy band BTS deserves Person of the Year. Justice Jackson might — someday. Especially if she takes to heart the “exercise” which follows. She may have her first chance very soon.

Just as an exercise, let’s use that “emperor with no clothes” parable to look at one current example. It's one where we will likely surrender in-depth examination because it’s easier to comply with our companions in the same echo chamber. The issue is what The Economist magazine, in its December 10 issue, calls the “clash between gay rights and free speech.” The case of a web designer refusing to create wedding websites for gay couples has all the drama of conservative vs. liberal once again, pulling us to ignore the “naked” truth. Whether it’s the previous case involving the baking of a cake or a possible future case involving a restaurant refusing to serve a conservative group, the issue cannot in the long run be ignored — today’s parade will pass, but will someday return.

While I would come into a discussion group initially favoring the right of a truly private company to refuse service to anyone, I often can be partially convinced by well-reasoned arguments by those with opposite perspectives, and then work together to find nuanced solutions. Hopefully that is also true of the justices on our highest court regarding our most vexing questions.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Contact Larry Little at larrylittle46@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Larry Little: Playing to our own crowd