Allegory of Love, II (‘Scorn’), Paolo Veronese
Why do you scorn others?
Can it be that you are that proud?
No matter how accomplished you are,
There are people ahead of you and behind you.
All beings on the path,
All victims of the same existence,
All with body, mind, and spirit.
No one is better than the next person.
Help others for all the times that you have been ignored.
Be kind to others, for all the times that you have been scorned.The journey of humanity is the journey from ignorance to enlightenment.
It’s like an endless march of souls through eternity. If you are standing in an infinitely long line of souls, how can you say that your position is superior to others? When there is no head and no end to the line, it doesn’t matter what place you hold. Therefore it is foolish to look down on those standing behind. They now occupy the place where you once stood. Instead of pride, you should feel compassion. If you cannot remember this, then just think of all the people ahead of you. You aspire to their place, and you should work diligently.
There is injustice in this world, yes. But there is no need to add to it. When you see someone less fortunate than you, express compassion. When you see someone more advanced than you, try to learn from them. Any other feelings are superfluous.
“Heav’n has no rage, like love to hatred turn’d, Nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorn’d” — William Congreve
“In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, Brave, Hated, and Scorned. When his cause succeeds however,the timid join him, For then it costs nothing to be a Patriot.” — Mark Twain
“I feel your scorn and I accept it.” — Jon Stewart
“A blind man knows he cannot see, and is glad to be led, though it be by a dog; but he that is blind in his understanding, which is the worst blindness of all, believes he sees as the best, and scorns a guide” — Samuel Butler
“I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them” — Baruch Spinoza
Hmm. I’m trying to think if I have ever scorned anyone for being less enlightened. I certainly don’t scorn those less fortunate, or less sane (anymore…) Scorn seems to be one of those things I reserve more for the acts of others rather than the people themselves. There are certainly actions of others that I scorn, like driving around in SUVs and then complaining about the price of gas, or getting into the express lane with a full cart, or being president and screwing up the entire country, or governor and screwing up the state — things that are inconsiderate, in general. People being inconsiderate of others really pisses me off. But I try to keep that kind of scorn separated from the person themselves, when possible.
I’ve certainly been on the down side of scorn. Cut off from people I thought loved and cared about me because they decided I wasn’t worth their time anymore. That hurt, and basically drove me crazy (yes, really — please, don’t ever stop talking to someone that really needs you).
So, I try really really hard not to do that to other people, knowing where it can lead. And yes, it has led to a general increase in my kindness for others. I do still tend to get ignored a lot, but it doesn’t bother me so much anymore. I do work hard to be there for others when they need me, since I know what its like to not have someone there for you that you really, really needed.
I think scorn is easy for people to feel when they have no idea what it is like to actually be less fortunate, or to be looked down upon themselves. Of course some do it because even though they are looked down upon, it keeps their own place in the hierarchy intact by assuring them others are lower than they are. Others do it because it assures them that they are somehow more moral than others, and therefore “closer to God”. As if the gods are not indeed out there walking among the lowest of the low…. This human compulsion to create hierarchies and orders of people is probably one of our less endearing traits, overall.
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