Saturday 24 August 2013

Nil Desperandum

Watching – much against my will – an extract from the last X Factor series with a  family member recently I was reminded of an old piece of journalism which caused uproar at the time, but which I have always admired.
In Another Voice, Auberon Waugh’s Spectator column,  he once complained that Bruce Forsyth’s return to TV screens was indicative of the feeble-minded state of a country he now wanted to flee. And by the time the column was in print he had - albeit only to his summer home in France. By comparison, I was only able to flee upstairs for the evening and read a good book.
On Waugh’s return he found a letter from a woman who wrote to say that his reminder of the Forsyth Factor had been the last straw, and that she now intended to kill herself. Waugh quickly wrote to try and offer some solace, but his letter was returned unopened, and he subsequently learnt she had indeed done as she said.
There was outrage when he revealed all this in a subsequent column, but I cannot help admiring the style and dignity of the woman. I am only sad that she felt things were so bad that she couldn’t go on.
For as Waugh concluded: “There are countless horrible things happening all over the country, and horrible people prospering but we must never allow them to disturb our equanimity or deflect us from our sacred duty to sabotage and annoy them whenever possible.”
Sound advice indeed.
By all means, comfort the disturbed if it gives you pleasure. But if your time is limited, first make it your priority to disturb the comfortable.