Gourmet English: Be Moral

Gourmet English: Be Moral:

Be Moral!

Guilty people feel – well – guilty.
So – make them feel better by showing someone who is even worse!

Lots of examples here.

I could choose the obesity epidemic where people show off their gym toned bodies or their wrinkled faces or their fitness credentials by condemning fat people. It is getting a bit tired now when politicians run blithely up the stairs of Air Force One. Or go jogging, looking ridiculous in their floppy shorts.

Fat politicians – Cyril Smith, Boris Johnson (now slimline Johnson), Tom Watson (now slimline Watson), Eric Pickles – don't do so well on tele as fit young men and women with their necks craned forward looking sincerely into the camera.
We love to destroy people. Fiona Onasanya of Peterborough fame. Boris Johnson's history of very minor faults. Mr Trump's outspokenness…
And we relish showing up the wicked. Sir Philip Green. Bishop Bell. Cliff Richard. Leon Brittan…
Well at least we are better than the lot of them!

Jesus – dare I? - oh go on then! - had a word about this.

The Jews were delighted to find someone who would make a really convincing scapegoat – a woman actually taken in the act of adultery!
WOW!
Stone her! Then everyone could show that at least they weren't that bad!
When asked for his opinion by the clever Jewish religious lawyers, Jesus was (why?) writing in the sand. Eventually he looked up and challenged the people who were without sin to throw the first stone.
(Actually this was quite witty in the original: it went something like this: “If anyone of you never fails to hit the target, let him throw the first stone.”)
One by one they all walked away leaving the woman alone with Jesus. “Go and sin no more,” said the guiltless man.

Erm...