From David Brooks’ editorial in yesterday’s NY Times, an eloquent look at how the current decline in interest in the humanities may well lead to a less profound understanding of human nature, and original sin in particular:
“Over the past century or so, people have built various systems to help them understand human behavior: economics, political science, game theory and evolutionary psychology. These systems are useful in many circumstances. But none completely explain behavior because deep down people have passions and drives that don’t lend themselves to systemic modeling. They have yearnings and fears that reside in an inner beast you could call The Big Shaggy.
You can see The Big Shaggy at work when a governor of South Carolina suddenly chucks it all for a love voyage south of the equator, or when a smart, philosophical congressman from Indiana risks everything for an in-office affair.
You can see The Big Shaggy at work when self-destructive overconfidence overtakes oil engineers in the gulf, when go-go enthusiasm intoxicates investment bankers or when bone-chilling distrust grips politics….
The observant person goes through life asking: Where did that come from? Why did he or she act that way? The answers are hard to come by because the behavior emanates from somewhere deep inside The Big Shaggy.”
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6 responses to “The Big Shaggy”
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you mean Mr. Snuffleupagus.
I agree, who knows what is going on inside. It is why i love the line from the 28 prayerbook that says " there is no health in us"
Not mr. Snuffleupagus. WoE is meee
Barkley, that is the big dogs name.. sorry for all the posts.
Great post and nice column Brooks. The excerpt you've given us provides a limited understanding of The Big Shaggy though, doesn't it? After your ellipses, Brooks goes on to say:
"Those are the destructive sides of The Big Shaggy. But this tender beast is also responsible for the mysterious but fierce determination that drives Kobe Bryant, the graceful bemusement the Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga showed when his perfect game slipped away, the selfless courage soldiers in Afghanistan show when they risk death for buddies or a family they may never see again."
Is Brooks saying that both original sin AND amazing grace reside in The Big Shaggy?
i can't get anything by you, Margaret!
thanks for calling me out – i think you're right about The Big Shaggy. To reduce it to 'original sin' would be, well, reductive. passion can be a beautiful thing can it not? speaking of which, have you seen The Secret In Their Eyes yet? It captures both sides of The Big Shaggy in all their horror and glory.
LOL, David. Didn't mean to call you out! (I guess I did that with the Oprah post, too, didn't I? How annoying of me… ) The fact is, I'm way less theologically educated than the rest of you here, so I'm always afraid I'm missing the point. Hence all the questions… Sorry to be a pest 🙂