1-7-21 - Angry Young Men

 Angry Young Men

IDEA - 1-7-21

by

Patrick Ryan

Judgment is easily passed but hardly reconciled for the angry young men. Living in a world that has passed them by, images paint a sardonic picture of youthful men of influence that has gotten older and cast aside. For these angry young men, life is a test written in another language, exhausting and pointless to begin with, but now the scars of previous accomplishments have started to wither away, and they don't know what to do. It is difficult to appreciate their viewpoint because you have to be empathetic for those who have been in power for too long; it is like caring what happens to a deposed dictator. There's nothing to gain, no revelation to learn from empathy. So we disregard the man who used to be a dictator. Now he is just a miserable, old, and helpless individual who has nothing to offer; easily overlooked is the solitary person, big deal, you used to be a dictator; what can you do for me today? However, you can't ignore the angry young men; while a ceiling to their numbers, each has a downhearted story and collectively can regain a semblance of importance. So, people get angry, "shoot them," "send in the dogs," "send in the military to remove them violently," are comments that can be heard from the peanut gallery. For angry young men, there's no peaceful resolution. That would be like telling the dog not to bark. Most would say they had their time, and now it's time for the rest to assume their influence. Sure, we all have our causes and point of view as the cross sits unused; but the angry young men bare the cross of their beliefs. I barely have the enthusiasm to comment on my social media feed, but the angry young men storm the gates. It's not going to end well; it's just going to be yet another pointless scar. Like the irritating mosquito that has been bothering you all day, it will just be swept away, like flicking a mosquito off your shoulder. The angry young men's demonstration will be juxtaposed with others that have taken place. They are more alike than idealists would like to admit. After they've put in their two cents on how bad the angry young men are, most will completely disengage. The storming of the gates will not be remembered one or two news cycles from now, and nothing will have changed. Nevertheless, suppose someone takes the time to listen to the narrative of angry young men, or angry young women, or angry young people of color, or angry young immigrants, or angry young people. In that case, they're going to find a few threads of commonality. When one group storms the gates, the other groups sit back and say, "those people, who are not like me, are out of control." That is until it's your turn to storm the gates. Everyone is so busy making judgments that no one ever asks why they are angry.