THE COMMENTARIAT

Given that my Main Approach to life is:

Those Who Can, Do

I would like to offer the following corollary:

Those Who Cannot, Comment

Having been out to dinner twice in one week I have had dined somewhat over my tolerance level on dinner table conversation of Those Who Know.

While I thought I was inventing a new word for such people it seems the word exists already: The Commentariat. It originally referred to media commentators but I would put it more broadly as anyone who makes comments on news, politics, the state of the economy, what their neighbours are doing etc.

Wikipedia refers to this group of people as The Chattering Classes:

"The chattering classes is a generally derogatory term often used by pundits and political commentators to refer to a politically active, socially concerned and highly educated section of the "metropolitan middle class" especially those with political, media, and academic connections. ... Indeed, the term is used by people all across the political spectrum to refer to the journalists and political operatives who see themselves as the arbiters of conventional wisdom."

Too right! And arbiters of style and taste in All Matters!

I guess the world needs these people; it just seems there are more per square mile than there used to be! Ahem ... of course, anyone who writes on a blog must certainly add to the density....!

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Photo: blackbirds in the trees in our back garden, late October.