BarkellWH -> RE: Elitism in the world of Flamenco (Jun. 26 2017 16:30:33)
|
quote:
Elitism by definition is the belief that Elites should be in charge of organizations. A person who is elite for some reason is not actually an elitist. Two different things. The elitist the person who believes all should be subject to the rule of elites. An elite person might think Uncle Charlie who slings hash and eggs at the corner diner is better at running things. Correct as far as it goes. I would broaden the definition, however, to go beyond the belief that elites should "be in charge of organizations" or that all should be "subject to the rule of elites." Elitism to me is the recognition that there are individuals who through hard work, diligence, and application have attained mastery in their chosen fields of endeavor, a mastery that is recognized as being above and beyond the average person's ability in that field. I have never understood why "elitism" has taken on such a pejorative caste in American society. I tend to chalk it up to the American ideal of "egalitarianism" as being the supreme virtue, even if it hasn't been fully realized; the idea that one person is as good as another. That should be the ideal under the law, the justice system, and opportunity (as opposed to outcome), but it is a recipe for disaster when it comes to science, engineering, literature, art, music, foreign affairs, and any number of other endeavors that require specialized knowledge. As I mentioned in a post above, I believe Robert Hughes nailed it when he described himself as an "elitist." "I am completely an elitist, in the cultural but emphatically not the social sense. I prefer the good to the bad, the articulate to the mumbling, the aesthetically developed to the merely primitive, and full to partial consciousness. I love the spectacle of skill, whether it is an expert gardener at work, or a good carpenter chopping dovetails. I don't think stupid or ill-read people are as good to be with as wise and fully literate ones. I would rather watch a great tennis player than a mediocre one." Bill
|
|
|
|