The Allegory of Susan
Within his work The Republic Plato describes Democracy as “excessive liberty,” a consequence of such being shamelessness such as “an exaggerated sense of honor.” (Soccio) Comparing Plato’s warning to modern day America, we can see he may not have been wrong. Having grown up in a world where they were told they were free, and having been unpunished for uncivil behavior, there are many people living with a false sense of entitlement. Pop culture reflects our awareness of the existence of those who are undeservingly entitled. A common internet meme character, often called Karen or Susan, depicts a middle-aged stay at home mom “demanding to see the manager.” The implication of the meme is that this character has never earned any prestigious status or roll in society yet expects to be regarded as higher status than other customers. The prevalence of this meme in modern internet culture reflects how commonly real people with this attitude are encountered. Having lived her entire life in a world where she was free to do and say what she wants and always gets what she wants, Susan now holds herself to be of “higher honor” than those around her. She shamelessly will make a scene in a public place to get what she wants. The character of Susan acts as a parody to retail workers, but also as a warning to everyone. If people are raised with unrestrained liberty and no sense of responsibility, they will always expect what-ever they want without having to earn it and will act as unreasonable, selfish members of society.
Sc is pretty boring.