Our Lady of Fandom, Thursday
Castiel looked a little grumpy up at the pulpit, today.
"There are many things," he said, "which humanity does which I simply . . . do not comprehend. I'm told that there are many things that I say and do which humanity doesn't comprehend, so I suppose this is fair, but I thought I would talk about one of the human things today.
"Schadenfreude.
"Now, it is generally considered in good moral conscience to be considerate to your fellow beings. To feel empathy for them, and acknowledge their importance in everything you say and do. The so-called 'golden rule' reflects this: 'do unto others as you would have done unto you'. Quite simply, be kind to one another, and kindness will be shown to you.
"So it is absolutely . . . mind-boggling to realize that there are those among you -- perhaps even all of you, in a certain way -- who enjoy another person's suffering for your own amusement. In fact, much of your entertainment industry seems to be founded on this idea. It seems to be much more than simply acknowledging a shared weakness or discomfort within your community, as one might find in songs of lost or unrequited loves. It's actually deriving pleasure from watching or thinking about other people coming to harm in some way.
"I rather wish I could say this is a particularly human trait, but since learning of its existence, I can't help but wonder if perhaps it's not unknown amongst my kind as well. Certain of my fellows . . . have shown a strange joy in the suffering of mankind. I will not name names. Suffice to say that should any of these individuals arrive on this island, I will strive to ensure that they do not stay long, and that they don't do anything to any of you while they're here. Even if you might enjoy it."
The you sick, sad little people wasn't said, or even quite implied. But it seemed to be hanging out there in the background, worked into the very wood and cloth of the church's interior.
[ooc: Yeah, I dunno. Every now and then Cass has to get some of the 'wtf, humans are weirdos' out of his system. OCD is on its way.]
"There are many things," he said, "which humanity does which I simply . . . do not comprehend. I'm told that there are many things that I say and do which humanity doesn't comprehend, so I suppose this is fair, but I thought I would talk about one of the human things today.
"Schadenfreude.
"Now, it is generally considered in good moral conscience to be considerate to your fellow beings. To feel empathy for them, and acknowledge their importance in everything you say and do. The so-called 'golden rule' reflects this: 'do unto others as you would have done unto you'. Quite simply, be kind to one another, and kindness will be shown to you.
"So it is absolutely . . . mind-boggling to realize that there are those among you -- perhaps even all of you, in a certain way -- who enjoy another person's suffering for your own amusement. In fact, much of your entertainment industry seems to be founded on this idea. It seems to be much more than simply acknowledging a shared weakness or discomfort within your community, as one might find in songs of lost or unrequited loves. It's actually deriving pleasure from watching or thinking about other people coming to harm in some way.
"I rather wish I could say this is a particularly human trait, but since learning of its existence, I can't help but wonder if perhaps it's not unknown amongst my kind as well. Certain of my fellows . . . have shown a strange joy in the suffering of mankind. I will not name names. Suffice to say that should any of these individuals arrive on this island, I will strive to ensure that they do not stay long, and that they don't do anything to any of you while they're here. Even if you might enjoy it."
The you sick, sad little people wasn't said, or even quite implied. But it seemed to be hanging out there in the background, worked into the very wood and cloth of the church's interior.
[ooc: Yeah, I dunno. Every now and then Cass has to get some of the 'wtf, humans are weirdos' out of his system. OCD is on its way.]