Summary

The text reflects on the complex relationship between humanity and cruelty, exploring how cruelty interacts with virtues like equality, respect, and kindness, and is often shunned despite its intrinsic connection to human nature.

Abstract

The article delves into the paradoxical nature of cruelty, personifying it as an unwelcome yet integral guest at the "Authoritarian table" where it sits alongside equality, respect, and kindness. It suggests that cruelty, often reviled, plays a crucial role in the balance of human virtues and vices. The narrator admits to rejecting cruelty's influence, yet acknowledges its pervasive presence and the reflection of our own darker aspects within it. The piece contemplates the necessity of cruelty in understanding fairness and truth, and how its absence would diminish the depth of noble deeds. Ultimately, the text concludes that cruelty is inseparable from humanity, and that recognizing its role is essential for personal growth and self-awareness.

Opinions

The author implies that moralists take pleasure in the concept of cruelty, as evidenced by the invention of Hell.
Cruelty is depicted as a necessary evil that tempts individuals to stray from honesty and balance.
The narrator maintains a sense of superiority by rejecting cruelty's tutelage and refusing to align with it.
There is a recognition that cruelty's presence enhances the appreciation of kindness and other noble traits.
The text suggests that people often see their own fears and flaws reflected in cruelty.
The author muses on the idea that cruelty and kindness are interdependent, with cruelty challenging the narrator to grow.
The piece reflects on the inevitability of cruelty's role in life, proposing that it cannot be entirely separated from the human experience.
The author hints at a personal journey of understanding the value of cruelty in the pursuit of truth and self-improvement.

commons.wikimedia.org King Arthur’s Round Table. Public Domain.

Cruel Intensions

The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists. That is why they invented Hell — Bertrand Russell.

Cruelty has shared a seat with me, a toast — across the circular divide

But I, ignored making his acquaintance, nor shared my thoughts, or idle chit chat.

Around the Authoritarian table, Cruelty shared a place with Equality, Respect and the metaphoric — kill me with Kindness

Cruelty, tipped the scales of common courtesy, tempting us with his blatant use of dissing Honesty, balancing the scales, within the unbounded sense of raison d’être.

Two hundred- twenty and five, noble traits, yet Cruelty, not unjustly, felt shunned.

I tsk tsk’d, clucked my tongue and arrogantly tossed my glossy mane — refusing his tutoring quill, any form of allegiance. I dare not pledge thee my troth, ufff!

Cruelty found no common conversation with me, so he circled the divide, our common ground.

Cruelty, did brush upon my shoulder — in passing, he stared daggers from across the crowded room — a thousand mile stare, with the view to a kill.

He genuflected to my regal, unbending salutation.

A stunning performance!

But Cruelty had forged his place among us, fitted in armor, complimenting the visage of all in attendance.

We all saw in Cruelty what we feared to examine in ourselves, his reflective armor, hastily donned, it should have been checked at the door.

Without cruelty in attendance, the gossips would have milked little ole wrinkled Fairness, of all human kindness — as Cruelty, that black night, shadowed every noble deed, mimicking the jester of the court — humor me.

The stench of the Unknown God, roasting, pervading the room with a timidity, that shoo-d them all to their musical chairs.

Cruelty took a seat to the right of Authority’s ovens and to the left of none — in his cups, he raised a toast to Truth — be-told.

“Who are you, without me?”, he poked and prodded

“I have been cruel to Cruelty himself, although to my defense he looked nothing like you, you wore Kindness on your sleeve”, I announced, mocking him with Unfairness (she was largely accommodating), should I have apologized?, grandeur of Spirit had stayed home for the Knight —

I cut-direct, Cruelty with my stinging tongue, cutting myself off from the common man, I included myself — God’s gentile to the wake — me up before you go, go —

I grew, (it was witchcraft), and learned a thing or two, not three, maybe four, we skipped five but it was below those two hundred and five, noble traits, alas, I didn’t have enough fingers to count me out.

My place was no greater but not lesser of, yet I failed to recognize Cruelty’s undying devotion to us, and honestly to Truth — be untold.

I removed myself from the presence of all, I sat by the murky lake, The Lady (if I dare call her thus), understood, what I vanely refused to acknowledge.

There cannot be one without the other, with a caveat tied around my neck with as noose, each strike with undue respect, tightens the bond

We shared a trestle-d, round table and played ring-’round the rosies, wary opponents — we all fell down, down, down — that breeding rabbit hole.

Sir, what’s his Given name — names that tune, wields the mettle — the Battle of the Ex’s ensues, he declares a truce, he cuts, divides and conquers none,

Love made a timely if late appearance (glass slipper in hand, a perfect fit) and conquered us all — all the King’s horses, if not all the King’s Merry Men,

The Ladies in waiting — suffrage the Little Children, in reunion.

Cruelty for all intents and purposes — Universal Ignorance, the order for the day of atonement. Comeuppance anyone?, she’s the Belle of the Ball.