Bad Behaviour (Better Angels)

A reminder to myself, shared with you

(This morning, the world lost a kind and compassionate leader, whom I believe did his best to call us all toward love, justice and peaceful conflict resolution. Pope Francis also believed in the power of humour, which is a big part of this song. This song and essay were written before his passing. Perhaps he’s among the “better angels” we can call on now.)

Is it just me, or are many people more cranky, sensitive, out-of-sorts and difficult to deal with these days? Here’s what AI had to say.

“In 2025, interpersonal conflicts are projected to rise, due to a confluence of factors, including the intensifying pace of global changes, the rise of social justice movements and political polarization, and the pervasive impact of climate change and resource scarcity. Workplace conflicts are also expected to increase as technology and automation reshape job roles and ethical concerns arise. Additionally, the growing awareness of cognitive biases and behavioural triggers can amplify disagreements and misunderstandings.”

It’s worth noting that I got that exact response only once. When I tried it another time, it added that “Addressing these conflicts requires open communication, conflict resolution training, and potentially involving neutral third parties.” It’s almost as if the virtual assistant said to itself: “Okay, fine, but what do we do about all this?” and offered some good suggestions.

I think it’s likely, too, that right now (hopefully before conflicts arise) we all need to pay extra attention to rest, self-compassion, good nutrition, exercise, activities we enjoy (such as making music and drawing), spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation, and connecting with others. I recently heard the acronym ASAP recast as “as slow as possible…as steady as possible…as softly as possible.”

It’s been said that “hurt people hurt people”…and so, when we’re feeling pain ourselves (grieving, scared, shocked by horrifying world events) we’re more likely to respond poorly in personal situations. If we’re keeping up with the news (not everyone’s choice at the moment) we’re exposed regularly to cruelty, lies, mass murder and more. Some in power have even explicitly denounced empathy!¹ It’s enough to make you go berserk! And so, we might…but hopefully not too often. And when we do, it’s an invitation to examine our behaviour, make amends as needed, and try to do better next time.

Here’s a little song that tries to name what’s happening and point in a healthier direction. As Carl Jung said:

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious."

May you be attended by your better angels today, as I continue to call on mine.

Bad Behaviour (Better Angels) 

All kinds of evils spreading like measles
Bad behaviour's going around
Lies and deceptions: rising infections
Bad behaviour's going around 

We didn't see any dangers 
We thought we'd be immune
We believed our better angels
would always light the room...

Tantrums and rages can be contagious
When bad behaviour's going around
Lack of compassion, I think it's catching
When bad behavior's going around 

We didn't see any dangers
We thought that we were good
We believed our better angels
Would save us as they should

In times that are troubling, down we are doubling
Bad behaviour gaining some ground
Fighting and fleeing, you-ing and me-ing
Bad behaviour going to town!

We didn't see any dangers
We thought we'd be untouched
We believed our better angels
Would need no help from us...

Blame & self-pity, in days that are shitty
Bad behaviour's going around 
When we recover, turn back to each other
Then bad behavior's gonna back down.  

Last chorus same as the first...

1. Elon Musk said “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy” on The Joe Rogan Experience in March, 2025. Evangelical leaders have similarly called empathy sinful and toxic. The Guardian goes into more detail in this article (which I found hard to read).