Duality with a capital D

Will Smith (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)

Since I don’t live on a desert island, I of course saw headlines and read comments about something unusual that happened during the Oscars involving actor Will Smith.

I went online and read just enough to understand the basics, then made the conscious decision not to read any further.

After all, there’s no way in the world I could possibly understand the personalities, subtleties, and complexities that are involved — especially since I don’t personally know any of these people!

(Of course, in our culture of celebrity it’s not considered necessary to know people in order to have, and be passionately attached to, a strong opinion about what they should do or shouldn’t have done and why. 🤦‍♀️)

Though I don’t know enough to have an opinion, I will make a few observations.

Unhappy, imbalanced, reactive people are found in every race, nationality, and creed; in every income bracket; and in every type of work or career — from clerk in a grocery store to President of the United States to Will Smith.

I can’t know the specifics of what makes a person unhappy, imbalanced, and reactive, but I do know that Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars were not the actions of a happy, balanced, proactive individual.

I find it sad that an evening which should have been about celebrating an Oscar-winning performance, will instead be remembered as the time he lost it and slapped Chris Rock on live television.

Bottom line? I see it as an all too perfect example of duality — from the heights to the depths in one glamourous evening.