The downfall of humanity draws closer when those who ought to be among the best of us, behave as if they are among the worst.

Among these are numerous statesmen and politicians, people in media and academia, artists and authors and literarti.

Those in statecraft ought to solve the worldly problems of human society and see to bring about peace, instead they bring about problems and rattle sabres, domestically and across borders.

Academicians ought to be aspiring to uncover truth, and make thinking in their students and the societies they serve clearer and simpler, instead they pursue hollow fame and carry themselves high on convoluted thinking and fancy-sounding obscurantusm that confuse everyone.

Those in the media and communications should aspire to enlighten society on current problems and the thinking of the wise on what moves about the world, instead they make a livelyhood out of drumming up drama and exhalting arrogant fools as people to be emulated.

Artists have ceased to aspire to create beauty and timelessness, but now pass off smudges of paint on canvas as if it is deep and noteworthy, as long as it has a page of haughty-sounding text attached to it.

The authors and literati congregate in societies that flock to any purportedly noteworthy "social cause" du jour, all jabbering the same phrases, one louder than the other, in a cacophonous gaggle of dramatic applause or disdain.