I made the mistake this morning of turning on the TV. Regardless of the network, I saw transparently vitriolic people. Because electronic media now have eyes on more of the world than humans had for centuries, and because so much of what we view is through those media, all of us are subjected to caustic perspectives we might not otherwise have.
The word vitriol derives from the Latin word for glass, virtrum. To get to English, it traveled through medieval times to become by 1769 a word meaning “bitter or caustic feelings.” That, in turn, derives from the corrosive properties of sulfuric acid that for a few centuries was known as oil of vitriol. It seems that the glass through which we view the world is clearly acidic at this time.
All feelings are visible. Few in the mainstream and social media hide any of their caustic thoughts in what appears to be a conscious effort to shape the way people view the world.
But should I be surprised. Should I blame the ostensible increase in vitriol on mainstream or social media for an increase in vitriol and a distortion of perspective? Maybe every generation is destined to see the world from a vitriolic perspective.
A common malady that affects vision is a change to the vitreous gel or humor that makes up most of the volume of our eyes. With time, the gel can differentially change in thickness or viscosity and can even detach. An ophthalmologist can repair the organ of vision through a vitrectomy followed by the emplacement of a clear silicone oil, saline solution, or invisible gas.
What we appear to need is an analogous operation to increase the clarity of vision and repair the deformed vitreous in the eye of the media. If we continue to see the world through the glass of the media as they now view the world, we will look through eyes whose vitreous gel provides only a caustic perspective.
The word vitriol derives from the Latin word for glass, virtrum. To get to English, it traveled through medieval times to become by 1769 a word meaning “bitter or caustic feelings.” That, in turn, derives from the corrosive properties of sulfuric acid that for a few centuries was known as oil of vitriol. It seems that the glass through which we view the world is clearly acidic at this time.
All feelings are visible. Few in the mainstream and social media hide any of their caustic thoughts in what appears to be a conscious effort to shape the way people view the world.
But should I be surprised. Should I blame the ostensible increase in vitriol on mainstream or social media for an increase in vitriol and a distortion of perspective? Maybe every generation is destined to see the world from a vitriolic perspective.
A common malady that affects vision is a change to the vitreous gel or humor that makes up most of the volume of our eyes. With time, the gel can differentially change in thickness or viscosity and can even detach. An ophthalmologist can repair the organ of vision through a vitrectomy followed by the emplacement of a clear silicone oil, saline solution, or invisible gas.
What we appear to need is an analogous operation to increase the clarity of vision and repair the deformed vitreous in the eye of the media. If we continue to see the world through the glass of the media as they now view the world, we will look through eyes whose vitreous gel provides only a caustic perspective.
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