Harvard social politics also function in such a way that there exists a fine, almost indistinguishable line between the Good Guys and the Martyrs. The easiest way to attain Good Guy status at Harvard is to suffer some egregious affront--oftentimes in the form of a failed election attempt or an unfulfilled goal. As such, we fill our void of Good Guys with an overflowing reserve of Martyrs. Martyrs, after all, are safe to praise. They pose no threat to our own ambition, we can safely embrace them with compassion and bemoan the injustices that have been committed against them--and maybe, hopefully, regret and reflect upon our own compromised values.
Jordana R. Lewis '02 is a history and literature concentrator in Eliot House. Her column appears on alternate Thursdays.