Sophrosyne for Me

“Hubris offends those on high. Herodotus tells us that the Almighty loves to smite with his bolts only the bigger animals, those who exalt themselves. Herodotus either knew physics or the mind of God, or both. A couple of weeks ago, I got condign punishment. My house was struck by lightning.” Sanford Rose

Dolors & Sense

by Sanford Rose

KISSIMMEE Florida—(Weekly Hubris)—9/10/2012—I’m not blogging here anymore. This place is self-confessedly hubristic.

Hubris offends those on high. Herodotus tells us that the Almighty loves to smite with his bolts only the bigger animals, those who exalt themselves.

Herodotus either knew physics or the mind of God, or both.

A couple of weeks ago, I got condign punishment. My house was struck by lightning.

Of course, I live in Central Florida, the lightning capital of the country, which gets electrical storms 90 days a year.

But, as Yossarian, of Catch-22 fame, said, “What difference does that make?”

The victim is always prone to exhibit the Nancy Kerrigan reaction: “Why me?”

On reflection, however, one should realize that lightning strikes are apt to become quite a bit more prevalent as the climate warms.

The resulting increase in atmospheric water vapor leads to more molecular friction and the greater chance that electrons will be torn free of their atomic confines at the base of clouds.

Cloud-to-ground strikes are caused by the fact that these electrons repel their brethren on the ground, creating a state in which a positively charged earth reaches out to the negatively charged cloud base.

Then the ambient air, which normally insulates, instead conducts.

In a sense, the earth embraces the fire and destruction that is the collateral and unintended consequence of man’s prior liberation of stored carbon.

And the strike sets up a feedback loop. Lightning causes forest fires which release still more carbon which contributes to further rises in temperature and a concomitant increase in water vapor.

So perhaps my strike was not entirely the Almighty’s special punishment.

To argue such is indeed hubris.

This particular crime of hubris is one of collective commission against the Earth. It is one for which we will all pay dearly.

Penance, however, starts with the individual. I aim to do my part, which, however, may require more, not less, blogging, if in a somewhat less bumptious fashion. But is it feasible to change the name of this journal to Weekly Sophrosyne?