It Takes a Village to Raise an Asshole

It takes a village to raise an asshole. Doesn’t happen overnight. One indulgent parent won’t do, nor will an indulgent spouse. Nope, it takes a village. Countless people have to look the other way. Countless people have to keep their mouths shut. Countless people have to do nothing because they’re too lazy or scared to act. And let’s be clear: I’m not talking about people who struggle with mental health problems. Not talking about those mouthy men with Asperger’s. Nor am I referring to those sociopathic souls who were born without the moral emotions. I’m talking about perfectly normal people, mentally healthy people—people who could, at one time, locate their E.Q. somewhere within the normal range. These aren’t monsters Mother Nature made; they’re monsters we’ve made. I’m talking about people who’ve become cruel—and nasty and inconsiderate—because we’ve allowed them to get away with bad behavior, again and again and again and again.