June 11, 2007

Demoralization is a deep subject. It would probably come as a surprise to people even as late as forty or fifty years ago that we could be so easily demoralized. Demoralized- what does the word even mean? Usually demoralization refers to losing the will to fight, yet it also contains the word "moral," or values and goodness. Have we become too quick to lose both?

Fifty years ago we were a superpower, and we were seeing the fruits of technology and experiencing the wonders of a world in which major portions had just been liberated from tyranny. I think people from fifty years ago would be astonished to see that we are now a hyperpower and yet are morbidly afraid of engaging our enemies.

Forty years ago large swaths of our culture was convinced that they were throwing off an old system of values and were going to lead us all to a new world of peace and love. These people are astonished now to see children declaring that everything is meaningless, not by dropping out of school, but by living in a continual haze of whatever makes them feel good, forgetting everyone else.

Why have we become so demoralized? Perhaps we've neglected values worth fighting for. Not everyone has neglected those values, to be sure, and I'm very thankful for that. Maybe these people can help us become remoralized. Remoralizing is going to be uncomfortable, and it may mean giving up some ideas that sound really nice, but it is the right thing to do.