Schwartz’s essay American Jerk is a rather accurate take on the state our society has found itself in lately. From each and every corner of social – or really, any other – media people present lengthy essays on as to why we all should be as non-problematic, tolerant, and polite as possible, sometimes communicated through memes. However, in reality, most of us are still jerks to each other – even if we might not realise it in certain moments and still deem ourselves holier than anybody in the immediate vicinity. As Schwartz (2009) states, “it was the most civil of times, it was the least civil of times, it was the epoch of concern, it was the epoch of who cares” (para. 1). The author captures well the dichotomy of the modern society with these words, pointing out the most glaring flaw of today’s aggressive civility attitude. While we are definitely more involved in our world being more inclusive and accommodating towards more disadvantaged people, we still are not that considerate in our everyday lives.
Schwartz (2009) points out how there are tons of disturbing and violent content on TV and in media. How people turn up the volume on their phones and in their cars to let everybody know they are here; how we watch shows with predictable results of people harming themselves and others just for the weird fun of seeing them in pain or embarrassment. This strange duality of modern American is truly jarring when you finally recognize it: why and how did we become like this? The author proposes several theories, with the first one bringing a somewhat dystopian feeling: we have reached the peak of our civilization and are now headed “downhill” from here. Thus, we are desperately looking for comfort in our endless loop of entertainment to escape the looming fear of becoming nothing. Another one is more of a humorous idea that there are spores in the sunlight that are essentially converting people into self-centered zombies.
Finally, the last one is serious – Schwartz (2009) proposes a thought that most people are just clueless and self-absorbed, unable and unwilling to look past themselves. He is not judging; he states himself that he does not know what is better: civility or brutishness, and it is a choice everyone makes for themselves. Thus, Schwartz (2009) ends his essay on a thoughtful note about the great Civility War, providing foundation for further thought and self-reflection.
Work Cited
Schwartz, Todd. “American Jerk.”Utne, Web.