A Blessed 5779

For John, BLUF:  It is good to have a point at which one reflects on the past year and the desired path forward.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Where I Can Do Better in 5779

Today is the first day of Rosh Hashanah.

From the Jewish Journal, by Columnist Ben Shapiro, 4 September 2018.

Here is how it starts:

A few days ago, I met a local Jewish columnist (name omitted to protect the innocent) at a bat mitzvah party. She mentioned that she’d followed the controversies in which I’ve been involved and she asked how I had cultivated a thick enough skin to ignore them. The answer: I haven’t. That’s a good thing. I think it’s the mark of a person who’s not done growing that the skin isn’t thick enough to prevent change from within. People trying to improve should respond first to good faith criticism with the thought that perhaps the critic is right.

That doesn’t mean that every critic is right — all too often in politics, critics are interested in destruction of their opposition by any means necessary. Sometimes attacks are wildly unjustified: comments deliberately removed from context, character assaulted, malign motives attributed without evidence.

But sometimes, criticisms are justified. And during the Ten Days of Repentance, it’s well worthwhile to consider how we can improve ourselves and, by extension, our public discourse.

So, here’s my list of sins for the year — a sort of preliminary Ashamnu of political discourse.

And here are the four areas Mr Shapiro sees as in need of improvement.  He actually uses the word sin.

• I Have Used Unjustified Labels.
• I Have Jumped to Conclusions.
• I Have Addressed the Worst Versions of Arguments.
• I Have Used Solutions-Talk When Sympathy-Talk Is Demanded.

Four is a good round number and the list is one I could well work on.

Thanks, Ben Shapiro.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff