Question Number: 21230

Other 4/29/2009

RE: Select, High School, Adult Amateur Other

Patrick Faulds of Columbia, SC USA asks...

Myself, a lifelong member of the 'Curmudgeon's Club' I was shocked and saddened to read that our association lost such an outspoken member. Although I didn't know Chuck Fleischer personally, I recognized a kindred spirit. I learned much and received great pleasure over the past few years from reading his posts. His sarcastic and sardonic wit could not distract from his wisdom any more than it could detract from what I am sure must have been a generous spirit. When I think of and re-read some of Chuck's 'saltier' answers to certain inquiries on your site, I am reminded of a quote by John Winokur when he describes, 'What is a Curmudgeon'? It hangs above my office desk.

'A curmudgeon's reputation for malevolence is undeserved. They're neither warped nor evil at heart. They don't hate mankind, just mankind's absurdities. They're just as sensitive and soft-hearted as the next guy, but they hide their vulnerability beneath a crust of misanthropy. They ease the pain by turning hurt into humor. . . . . . They attack maudlinism because it devalues genuine sentiment. . . . . . Nature, having failed to equip them with a serviceable denial mechanism, has endowed them with astute perception and sly wit.
Curmudgeons are mockers and debunkers whose bitterness is a symptom rather than a disease. They can't compromise their standards and can't manage the suspension of disbelief necessary for feigned cheerfulness. Their awareness is a curse.
Perhaps curmudgeons have gotten a bad rap in the same way that the messenger is blamed for the message: They have the temerity to comment on the human condition without apology. They not only refuse to applaud mediocrity, they howl it down with morose glee. Their versions of the truth unsettle us, and we hold it against them, even though they soften it with humor.'
- JON WINOKUR

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

well put!