Unworthy people?

The easiest thing in the world is to identify unworthy people, isn't it? If someone holds opinions different from yours, he is obviously unworthy. On THAT, most people have no difference of opinion - that he who is not with me in my beliefs, is unworthy of respect. That, though, was apparently not always held as self-evident truth.

Tiru has other ideas about that as may be expected.

Nayanilan enbadhu sollum payanila paariththuraikkum urai - Tirukkural

He, who is worthless, displays his lack of worth by elaborating on useless things - Loose Translation

Alas! What the heck do we do for conversation, then? I mean, come on, you cannot sit over drinks of an evening discussing String theory and M-Theory OR Existentialism and Nihilism OR...! Though, perhaps, Tiru would consider these as 'useless things' too considering that it would be only talk-talk since we would not be doing anything about any of these unless we are physicists or philosophers respectively. Maybe, we should be discussing coding or, in my case, accounting entries even as we sip on the Single Malt. Yuck!

But, no, I do not think that Tiru can be that heartless. I think that when he speaks of 'useless things' what he means is gossip. Nor, indeed, is he totally against gossip, he is only against someone who spends all his time elaborating on gossip.

But what is it about all these hoary old sages and their opposition to that harmless pastime of gossip, pray? Because, I suppose, gossip is seldom all that harmless. I mean, really, when you think of something as 'juicy gossip' does it ever turn out to be complimentary to the person about whom it is? Nonsense! What is juicy is only what is uncomplimentary OR, at least, what that person has done which Society may not completely approve of. AND one who elaborates on that...and does nothing else...I mean, really, if you meet some such person in a party, do you think that he is a worthy member of Society during the day OR a useless piece of gossipy junk?

THAT, then is what Tiru was saying. That someone who keeps elaborating on useless things is worthless and is seen as worthless.

Though, yes, Tiru did not live in these days. THAT person could well be growing into becoming a Social media influencer, because of his following. After all, nothing goes as viral as juicy gossip!