Art and the ‘Triple A’ Rating

‘Triple A’ is a phrase most commonly associated with the economy and is the highest grade indicating an unusually strong capacity to deal with economic challenges. In late June this year Moody’s Investor Service affirmed this ‘pristine rating’ for Australia.

I was wondering what a ‘Triple A’ civic duty rating would look like for the Victorian public in the current phase of the coronavirus pandemic, and how ‘art’ might be used to help achieve this.

Unfortunately, we have seen the wrong ‘A’s being embraced by our fellow citizens. The first ‘A’ – Akrasia (from the Ancient Greek) – is the act of knowing you shouldn’t be doing something but doing it anyway.

While Giordano’s painting reminds us of the use of wearing a mask, the desire for cavorting and the flagrant disregard for social distancing are definitely problematic.

The next ‘A’ – Allotriophagy (19^th century medical terminology) – is a strong desire to eat food that is unhealthy. How many stories have we heard of people travelling across the country to find fast food?

And the third unhelpful ‘A’ – Aprosexia (another medical term) –  meaning a complete inability to focus or concentrate, is often used as an excuse by Akrasiatics to explain their Allotriophagy.

It is time to institute some new ‘A’s. We clearly need to start with Altruism (coined by the French philosopher Auguste Comte in 1853) and devote ourselves to the welfare of others.

In order to do this, I suggest we embrace Apanthropy (further medical terminology) which is a desire to be alone and eschew the unnecessary company of others.

Mansergh-St George provides an excellent example of how we should approach the daily task of walking our pets. He has a silver gorget which could double as a face mask and a suitable weapon which is at least 1.5 metres in length to help educate recidivists.

Apanthropy also allows us to practice uninhibited Adamitism (19^th century English) – the joyful practice of ‘nuding up’ – when we are back in our own safe space.

Instead of resisting solitude, if we accept the need for it, we will eventually achieve Ataraxia (Ancient Greek again) – a state of peaceful serenity, calmness and bliss – as we learn to just ‘be’ with ourselves.

Taking on some essential and achievable ‘A’s will allow us to restore our ‘Triple A’ status.