Pointing is a peculiar art. When we’re lost, it’s helpful to have someone point in the direction we should be going. When we’re trying to convince someone of something we’re passionate about, we hope they get the point. When we’re collaborating with a bunch of people on a project, we appreciate someone being the point person for communication. When we’re attempting to master a new skill, it’s beneficial to have an instructor point out our failings. And when we’re frustrated and ready to throw in the towel, we ask and not at all nonchalantly, what’s the point?
At a recent musical ensemble rehearsal, the director requested that players not make faces or disgusted sounds when making a mistake. One member jokingly suggested that they could point a finger in another’s direction as if the mistake had been made by the other. And sadly, that is probably the most common point of pointing: to place blame. We much prefer to pin fault on someone other than ourselves. We do our best to duck when responsibility is being tossed around. As the sappy example goes, when you point a finger at someone else, you’ve got three pointing back at you. And that begs the question, where’s the point?
A story that is reputed to be true but for which there is no documentary evidence drills down to the core of that question. It goes like this: the editor of a respectable newspaper wrote to numerous respectable authors asking them to respond to a respectable question, What is wrong with the world? One alarmingly terse reply came back which said, Dear sirs, I am. Yours, G.K. Chesterton.
Clearly, one person is not solely responsible for everything that’s wrong with the world. But Chesterton was willing to own his share in it. Chesterton seems to be offering that there’s little to be gained from freely pointing out the faults of others while claiming immunity from our own imperfect participation in the affairs of the world.
If finger pointing is a favorite form of entertainment for us, it can be challenging to let it go. But there are plenty of more constructive things we can do with our fingers than pointing in blame. Painting is fun. How about knitting and yes, with fingers, not needles. Drumming in a circle of others is a lovely experience. Tickling the ivories, as keyboardists say, is groovy. Better yet, tickle a loved one and have a good laugh together. When we get the point, it’s easier to see where to point.
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