An eighth deadly sin has long been forgotten, probably due to this very human instinct to ignore pressing matters of importance when they force us to feel uncomfortable (refugees, climate change, etc.) I find it ironic that the easiest of the deadly sins to avoid and commit has been ignored in the first place. It’s as though the powers responsible for charging generation after generation with guilt for being born naturally flawed were themselves guilty of committing this unforgivable travesty. Were they too bystanders in watching the havoc so generously named human civilisation dig its own deathbed, nation choking nation, human slaughtering human and animal and planet and atmosphere until the cows come home, and further still, until there are neither no cows to return home and no home to return to? Like I said earlier, we love our food. We’re first bystanders in the playground, witnessing bullying or littering or loneliness and choosing to ignore all of the above, because at age five we’re busting to head home for discount Coles donuts and tree-climbing or whining until mum lets us watch Fairly Odd Parents or whatever else Elliot is playing on Rollercoaster. We must forgive ourselves for this, it’s understandable we’d engage in this culture of ignorance in the same way
our school environments ignore the value of interest in maths or arts over athletics. The ironically sad thing about this is that from a young age we become oblivious to the fact that ignorance encourages disengagement from the world around us. Like tantrums, avoiding eye contact and frowning at strangers, ignorance is normalised, and we are misinformed too early that a bystander is a role that should be celebrated. Conflict is invisible. Bravery is overrated. Mediocrity rules! When do we stop being bystanders? I still surprise myself with my own ignorance every day. From experience, I’ve found that overcoming this inherently human tendency to ignore the challenging and uncomfortable requires a conscious recognition of our own flaws. This shouldn’t be so difficult; as sheeple we all seem to feel threatened by difference, conflict or the idea of swimming against social expectations and the opinions of others. But as the ancient to-don't list reminds us, humans are proud, and as such the idea of being bold and brave enough to do things differently frightens us. So we watch our world burn and our species bring forth both its own extinction and that of the many creatures with whom we share our home. That is, unless we make the decision to be more than bystanders. In 2019, the world needs no more bystanders. What it needs is the bravery of people to stand up for those that can’t, for what they believe in, for something other than passiveness. The seven deadly sins. They’re not ideal. But at least they encourage active involvement with something. I don’t condone them, but I’d much rather be openly angry about or proud of something than completely ignore the tragicomedy playing out on the stage around me. Not everything warrants ignorance, in fact very little does. So please, human race: raise your standards. Don’t be a bystander.
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Acedia
strength’. I don’t know what it is about ignorance, but we seem to be all over it. We ignore what makes us sad, the beauty of the clouds, litter on the sidewalk, the fact that birds live without electric blankets and still sing in the winter, those looking for a friend or a place to call home, and the fact that our planet is silently dying as we cry ourselves to sleep over the fact that we are not a Hemsworth or Beyonce or inheriting Lorde’s crown as teen musical prodigy through our parents’ connections (love you Billie). However, there are few things we are better at ignoring than our own ignorance.
