Dennis Prager Show - Self Dignity at Work and School
Aired: 2024-11-07
Duration: 03:11


=== Pulling Strings Behind Me (03:11) ===

[00:00:00]  Why would I look like a clown?
[00:00:02]  I'm sorry.
[00:00:03]  People don't care if they look like clowns.
[00:00:05]  I mean, that is so anathema to me.
[00:00:07]  I can't even tell you.
[00:00:08]  I would not be able to sleep.
[00:00:10]  They go, put up a picture, put up a video of a drag queen twerking in front of a child and then do the whole, oh my god.
[00:00:18]  I'm not gonna do that.
[00:00:20]  I'm gonna look like a stupid person if I do, and that doesn't mean you can't react to a video, but do the whole, you know, expression and the whole outrage.
[00:00:29]  I would feel like I am a puppeteer.
[00:00:32]  And someone is, like, pulling the strings behind me and I have this theatrical reaction.
[00:00:38]  It's stupid.
[00:00:39]  Also, I really endeavor in my role in public life, I want to elevate my own intellect and character and other people's intellect and character.
[00:00:49]  And doing these stupid reaction videos where we're, you know, expressing outrage, I don't think that achieves that.
[00:00:56]  And also, you know, there are people who say...
[00:00:59]  That, you know, they advise me.
[00:01:01]  They go, oh, you should just do more your comments on something.
[00:01:08]  You know, post two times a day your reaction to a news story.
[00:01:11]  You know what my response is?
[00:01:13]  What if I don't have a reaction?
[00:01:15]  Or what if what I have to say isn't contributing anything?
[00:01:18]  I'm not just going to post, you know, let's say...
[00:01:22]  Trump, something happens with Trump.
[00:01:24]  I'm not just going to post and give some stupid comment that everybody else is giving just to get my face in front of people.
[00:01:29]  And you know what?
[00:01:30]  I acknowledge it's probably harmed me.
[00:01:32]  But it goes back to that dignity issue.
[00:01:34]  I want people to associate me with someone who is serious, who is thoughtful, and when I open my mouth, it's because I actually have something good to say.
[00:01:45]  I know it.
[00:01:46]  I knew it and I assumed it.
[00:01:49]  Did I ever tell you about my anti-cheating campaign in high school?
[00:01:53]  Yeah, you have.
[00:01:53]  And I was on the Honor Council at Harvard and at my high school, too.
[00:01:57]  I believe that.
[00:01:58]  So interesting, by the way.
[00:01:59]  Boy, forgive me.
[00:02:00]  I wish I could talk about...
[00:02:02]  I wish you could.
[00:02:03]  I wish I could talk about the stuff that people would pull.
[00:02:07]  You can't?
[00:02:08]  No.
[00:02:08]  Even without names?
[00:02:12]  That's a good question.
[00:02:13]  Yeah, I don't know why not.
[00:02:15]  So did I ever tell you...
[00:02:17]  I don't think I did.
[00:02:19]  But I don't even think I've ever mentioned this in public.
[00:02:22]  Not that I've hidden it, but again, it doesn't come out unless you're in a dialogue.
[00:02:27]  So I started an anti-cheating on test campaign in high school.
[00:02:31]  By the way, it had a very big impact on me.
[00:02:33]  You know how?
[00:02:34]  Why?
[00:02:34]  This I've never told you either.
[00:02:38]  I was elected the president of the graduating class.
[00:02:42]  So there were four classes.
[00:02:46]  The four classes.
[00:02:48]  They vote together for the president of the whole graduating class.
[00:02:51]  I was elected.
[00:02:54]  And I remember thinking, that's really interesting.
[00:03:00]  They did not resent me for my anti-achieving campaign.
[00:03:05]  And that's when I realized something very important about myself.