🌟 Be a Pillar: The Foundation of Community and Culture 🏛️
If someone describes another person as a “pillar of the community,” you might find yourself wondering whether to offer congratulations or condolences. This term, though frequently trotted out as a compliment, often carries as much baggage as an overbooked vacation flight.
Historical Underpinnings
The notion of being a “chief supporter” can be traced back to the early fourteenth century, where the “pillar of the church” first got its formidable reputation. By 1800, cultural commentator Eric Partridge found it already wearisome—a reminder that some clichés have aged like a pale, overripe banana.
Take Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. In a wordy display of flattery, Shylock buttons up his hopes in, “I charge you by the law, whereof you are a well-deserving pillar.” Presumably, he was banking on the judge appreciating this verbal napkin, previously dipped in honey. However, his efforts might as well have been slicking an oil spill with a paper towel.
Variants and Ironies
By the late nineteenth century, this painfully erect metaphor found its common use taken to sarcastic and even disdainful heights:
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Pillar of Society: Henrik Ibsen’s 1877 work, Pillars of Society, doesn’t exactly offer its “pillars” a standing ovation, instead implying critique intended for both the person and the boxed-in society they supposedly support.
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Pillar of the Community: A variant found in modern parlance, equally flexible in offering straight-faced compliments or backhanded jabs, suggesting an implicit critique when acknowledging one’s prominent role.
Take a look around, and you might see Shaw- or Ibsen-influenced sneers evident every time this phrase is dropped casually into a conversation—and you know everyone’s inner monologue is doing a dramatic eye-roll.
Similar Terms and Phrases
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Leading Light: Often implies someone who is innovative or influential in their field.
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Cornerstone: Indicates a fundamental role, much like a keystone in architecture, without the inherent cerebral sarcasm sometimes associated with “pillar.”
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Mainstay: Concisely dubbing someone a “mainstay” suggests they are indispensable, without the stone-carved solemnity of a “pillar.”
Synonyms and Antonyms
- Synonyms: Support, anchor, backbone, cornerstone, bedrock.
- Antonyms: Follower, underling, minor player, weak link.
Humorous Quotes and References
“In the end, we’ll all become pillars of the community. Ever looked at a cemetery?” – George Carlin
Literature, Books, and Media
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Books: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, not strictly about community members but directly linked through the metaphor to societal foundations.
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Movies/TV Shows: Parks and Recreation humorously depicts characters either blissfully unaware or diabolically aware of their “pillar-like” status.
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Songs: “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King lyrically expresses the community support reminiscent of a pillar.
Inspirational Thought-Provoking Farewell
May you strive to be the cornerstone rather than just another brick in the wall of clichés. Every word holds power; let’s use them to inspire rather than tire.
