The book Politics of Envy by Ann Hendershott who corresponded directly with me on the concerns our family has faced. All related to envy and entitlement - gas lighting and reputation crimes followed by a refusal to accept responsibility and liability by those caught harming others. Envy is the leading emotion behind narcissistic personality disorders - a serious mental health concern facing society today. As Jordan Peterson has stated - the greatest threat to humanity is narcissistic compassion. 🕵️♂️
Well put. NZ has been captured by a cult that values mediocrity and encourages class and race resentment. In addition it seems that the teaching profession from the top down is doing all it can to encourage inequality by removing effort and trimming the school curriculum to foster dissension.
You're right. The continued refusal to entertain streaming is one example of this. Capable and struggling students are all in the same maths class and the teacher must teach to somewhere in the middle ... the able students already who know the concept are bored and unextended, while the struggling students have no idea what's going on because they lost the thread ages ago. And yet, we still see, in large state high schools, a refusal to stream classes on ability. It's an ideological consideration, not a practical one. The result is that everyone's ability is brought down to mediocre.
Very well opined Sir. Having been born into the modern era, we are all privileged to some degree. My greatest ‘privilege’ was having hard-working parents who instilled in me the values that I now argue are essential for a functional society. Who could honestly say that’s a bad thing?
Elite should simply mean ‘best in field’ but it is now often used as you outline. I do frown when ‘elites’ look down upon more simple folk who may not have excelled in the same fields. Or even never excelled. Perhaps ‘entitled’ & ‘arrogant’ would be a more fitting critique? Pricks & arseholes are also most apposite for those who exude superiority of self. As another commenter said, humility is critical. Many ‘elites’ display this of course.
One brief comment to finish: Tall Poppy Syndrome is not our greatest challenge (as much as TPS irks me). Worse is the sense of entitlement of tribal leaders and the simple greed they display for the wealth & power that they think they deserve.
I enjoyed your comments on elites and privilege but surmise that what we are seeing when we talk of a rule by elites, in NZ, that is, that we have a cadre that consider themselves elite when probably only 25% deserve the title.
I think the more accurate truth is that NZers dont want to be ruled by middle managers, ideologues and also rans who consider themselves elites.
NZers want the brightest and best to lead but that's not what they have been getting. We havent had an intellectual PM with backbone since Helen Clark and it shows.
The last 20 years in government has seen a weeding out of the old guard (anyone very experienced and usually white and male) and their replacement with ideologues and political appointees. Not 100% across the board but enough to make the exercise of government difficult.
Career driven MPs of dubious leadership and intellectual quality (some) are being delivered up slop by government departments and they dont have the wherewithal to say, "No - It's not what is needed, go and do it again" as Helen Clark or Michael Cullen or Bill English would have done when presented with inferior thinking or policy.
On the "no - do it again" front the release of the Media Reform Strategy by Culture and Heritage was half-baked and that would be kind. Certainly were I releasing a document for discussion like that - well it would have been sent back with a fail grade. As fare as media regulation is concerned it was appalling. I have written on it already and have a more detailed critique in the pipeline
Thanks Nicola - only problem with Clark is that she was on the wrong side of the fence. She still manages to get her views across - one wonders if she should not stand again although I doubt that Labour could stand her rigour or discipline.
The only trap I see with being 'privileged' and/or 'elitist' is the potential for disdain of others. In that vein, I think privilege, elitism AND humility are a fantastic combo.
Thanks for your comment. I am not sure that the problem that you perceive is as real as you might suggest. My concern was the use of the words by others as a derogatory term.
The suggestion of humility is an interesting one - it carries with it a suggestion of "hiding the light under a bushel" which is rather like suggesting that the tall poppy should not grow too tall. As I suggest at the close ofg the article - celebrate advantages and be the best you can.
An ever so insightful piece, David. Should be published far and wide.
The book Politics of Envy by Ann Hendershott who corresponded directly with me on the concerns our family has faced. All related to envy and entitlement - gas lighting and reputation crimes followed by a refusal to accept responsibility and liability by those caught harming others. Envy is the leading emotion behind narcissistic personality disorders - a serious mental health concern facing society today. As Jordan Peterson has stated - the greatest threat to humanity is narcissistic compassion. 🕵️♂️
https://crisismagazine.com/product/politics-of-envy
Try out our new toxic person identifier with coarse of action reporting.
https://detective.nz/news/05-03-2025/identifying-toxic-harmful-people/
Well put. NZ has been captured by a cult that values mediocrity and encourages class and race resentment. In addition it seems that the teaching profession from the top down is doing all it can to encourage inequality by removing effort and trimming the school curriculum to foster dissension.
You're right. The continued refusal to entertain streaming is one example of this. Capable and struggling students are all in the same maths class and the teacher must teach to somewhere in the middle ... the able students already who know the concept are bored and unextended, while the struggling students have no idea what's going on because they lost the thread ages ago. And yet, we still see, in large state high schools, a refusal to stream classes on ability. It's an ideological consideration, not a practical one. The result is that everyone's ability is brought down to mediocre.
Very well opined Sir. Having been born into the modern era, we are all privileged to some degree. My greatest ‘privilege’ was having hard-working parents who instilled in me the values that I now argue are essential for a functional society. Who could honestly say that’s a bad thing?
Elite should simply mean ‘best in field’ but it is now often used as you outline. I do frown when ‘elites’ look down upon more simple folk who may not have excelled in the same fields. Or even never excelled. Perhaps ‘entitled’ & ‘arrogant’ would be a more fitting critique? Pricks & arseholes are also most apposite for those who exude superiority of self. As another commenter said, humility is critical. Many ‘elites’ display this of course.
One brief comment to finish: Tall Poppy Syndrome is not our greatest challenge (as much as TPS irks me). Worse is the sense of entitlement of tribal leaders and the simple greed they display for the wealth & power that they think they deserve.
I enjoyed your comments on elites and privilege but surmise that what we are seeing when we talk of a rule by elites, in NZ, that is, that we have a cadre that consider themselves elite when probably only 25% deserve the title.
I think the more accurate truth is that NZers dont want to be ruled by middle managers, ideologues and also rans who consider themselves elites.
NZers want the brightest and best to lead but that's not what they have been getting. We havent had an intellectual PM with backbone since Helen Clark and it shows.
The last 20 years in government has seen a weeding out of the old guard (anyone very experienced and usually white and male) and their replacement with ideologues and political appointees. Not 100% across the board but enough to make the exercise of government difficult.
Career driven MPs of dubious leadership and intellectual quality (some) are being delivered up slop by government departments and they dont have the wherewithal to say, "No - It's not what is needed, go and do it again" as Helen Clark or Michael Cullen or Bill English would have done when presented with inferior thinking or policy.
On the "no - do it again" front the release of the Media Reform Strategy by Culture and Heritage was half-baked and that would be kind. Certainly were I releasing a document for discussion like that - well it would have been sent back with a fail grade. As fare as media regulation is concerned it was appalling. I have written on it already and have a more detailed critique in the pipeline
Thanks Nicola - only problem with Clark is that she was on the wrong side of the fence. She still manages to get her views across - one wonders if she should not stand again although I doubt that Labour could stand her rigour or discipline.
The only trap I see with being 'privileged' and/or 'elitist' is the potential for disdain of others. In that vein, I think privilege, elitism AND humility are a fantastic combo.
Thanks for your comment. I am not sure that the problem that you perceive is as real as you might suggest. My concern was the use of the words by others as a derogatory term.
The suggestion of humility is an interesting one - it carries with it a suggestion of "hiding the light under a bushel" which is rather like suggesting that the tall poppy should not grow too tall. As I suggest at the close ofg the article - celebrate advantages and be the best you can.