The Absence of Gravitas

Due to the abundance of wealth and lack of adverse conditions (civil wars, abject poverty, widespread health epidemics, etc.), western societies have lost a sense of gravitas. People in these societies have lived too easily for too long a period of time. As a result, they have lost their sense of duty, seriousness and respect for others.

In the developing world, most people have seen their standard of living improve during their lifetime, and can expect them to continue to rise over the years even if the economy takes a temporary dip.  So, naturally, they feel well off whether they have a modest home in the suburbs, a small farm in the country or even a tiny apartment in the city. Most Americans do not know what it really means to be poor means because they have not experienced real poverty. They have only seen it on TV and in the movies or read about it in school or in the news.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, gravitas means seriousness and importance of manner, causing feelings of respect and trust in others. It is understood as a concept involving several attributes.

Usually gravitas is used to refer to politicians, philosophers or world leaders. I believe that it can also be applied to describe to culture and way of life that has true purpose and meaning. In contrast, Western culture has become obsessed with fame and celebrity, with frivolity and pleasure seeking, with superficiality and self-importance. We have lost a sense of seriousness and purpose, we no longer feel a sense of duty or doing the right thing), we lack respect for others (the disadvantaged, the elderly and those who are different from us).

We live in jaded and emotionless society where people only seem to be interested in others if they are trying to get something in return:  money, sex, connections, notoriety and the list goes on and on.  Focusing on our own needs and pleasures instead of demonstrating concern for others and building substantial social connections has lead most of us to live empty lives void of meaning and true worth.

Due to the lack of gravitas in our culture, Americans have created a sick kind of isolation where we only think of our selves and our own happiness.  This is a total switch from the beliefs this country was originally founded on.  We have lost our moral purpose for existence and we need to get it back if we want if we want our lives to have meaning.