The Culture of Resentment

The Greek goddess Nemesis was the personification of resentment.  She was thought to punish those who were believed to be the unworthy subjects of good fortune.  She's pictured above with the goddess Tyche, representing fortune.   I assume she's the one pointing, doubtless drawing Tyche's attention to someone she's unduly favored.

"Resentment" is defined as a bitter feeling of disgust or displeasure caused by a perceived insult or injury, and can include indignation resulting from the belief that one has been treated unfairly.  Here in our Great Republic we seem consumed by the belief that we've been treated unfairly; that others are being treated better than we are in some sense.  Even worse, that someone may be perceived to be better than we are, and our status reduced as a result.

I think resentment is behind the continuing complaints against "wokeness" (never clearly defined) and what's being characterized as the preferential treatment of those who aren't like us; the insistent disregard and condemnation of those who aren't standard-issue Americans; and the pandering to the resentful we see being engaged in by so many of our politicians, particularly Republicans.  The encouragement of resentment is all we see in our politics, thus far.

It's remarkable how self-pitying we've become.  This translates into a belief in the existence of conspiracies, relieving us from fault for our own ills, relieving us from responsibility for our own failures, justifying our bitterness.  We seem to feel we're being treated unfairly when those different from us are treated well (or fairly).

The resentful aren't concerned with, and likely deny the existence of, anything along the lines of a "common good." This is because they feel aggrieved.  Addressing their complaints, the restoring of their rights and status is the highest good, for them.  They become the victims while they complain that others play the victims and are better treated in consequence.  When a person believes they're treated unfairly, the fair treatment of others is merely a reason for jealousy, and the unfair treatment of others is thought to be misrepresented or a kind of hoax.  Those discriminated against historically are no longer discriminated against, now "we" are the subjects of discrimination.

The resentful are thoughtless.  There's no room for thought when one is occupied with the belief one is being wronged.  There's no room for anything or anyone else to the resentful.  Resentment is an entirely selfish emotion.  Our communications have become complaints.  That's now the nature of our national discourse.

It's unsurprising, therefore, that those perceived to be leaders are filled with resentment themselves, and complain the loudest.