Wikipedia, my late night information source, defines hyperbole as “a figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally.”
To me, it seems there has been more and more “extreme” behavior lately and it bothers me. I have been struggling with my own reaction to this behavior and also searching for a way to understand it. I tend to think in moderate terms. This does not mean I am wishy washy or don’t care. Being out there on the fringe does not mean you care more. It may just mean you have lost your way and wandered off. I believe there is a middle ground between “engage me or enrage me” and think suggesting that these are the options is misguided. I would be unlikely to scream during a political “tea party” no matter who received the majority of votes in this democracy and was presently in office and I do not think that opposing the position taken by any elected leader makes you unpatriotic. Like it or not, that is the way we try to do things. More votes trumps screaming louder. I am not certain that we are “a nation at risk” or at least not at great risk or not at a greater risk than most other folks. In general, I prefer here to there. I do think we better do something about the way we pollute. I think that threatening the elected officials of North Dakota because of their votes on health care is a bit selfish. As for the statement that seniors don’t forget, I don’t even think this is true. I am a senior and I think I forget more and more. I am not certain by the time the next election rolls around I will remember who voted for what or exactly what about supporting health care was supposed to have been a bad thing for seniors. In fact by the time the next election roles around, it may be my forgetting that requires medical attention.
I think that in general Johnny can read, at least a little bit. I would not suggest as the author of The cult of the amateur does that “today’s internet is killing our culture” or that google has shaped the “dumbest generation”. I mean, really, the absolute dumbest. What about the generation that made beer illegal?
Is this kind of what hyperbole means? I wish I knew that some of these folks were making exaggerated statements to evoke strong feelings or to create an impression and did not really intend their statements to be taken seriously. Then again, I may be wrong. There may really be nut jobs out there going rogue and writing books and hosting talk shows and speaking to inform rather than to incite or entertain and maybe not caring which. So, do you think “nut job” is going too far for a psychologist. Would that be hyperbole?
