Dilbert, Aristotle, and Fear

(PLEASE CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL COMIC STRIP)

According to Aristotle fear is, “a kind of pain or disturbance resulting from the imagination of impending danger, either destructive or painful” (1). The 9/20/2008 Dilbert strip is a perfect example of the Aristotelian definition of the emotion of fear. In the comic the character of Dilbert is looking for some kind of emotional persuasion to compensate for the lack of the energizing boost of coffee. Dilbert comes to his boss and states the premises that, “We’re out of coffee” (2). Then he asks, “Can you give me a false sense of urgency and some unnecessary stress to compensate?” (2). This quote is practically a paraphrase of the Aristotelian definition. Simply replace “false sense of urgency” with “imagination of impending danger” and the same request is being made. The pointy haired boss does not disappoint with his reply and immediately he gives Dilbert something to fear by saying, “Finish your project before our CEO stops by on Tuesday” (2). This fits the criteria of fear in a multitude of ways: (a) It is threat of “hostility and anger from one capable of taking some action,” namely the CEO (1). (b) “Those who are fearsome for one’s superiors; for they would be able to harm us, if they could harm even them” (1). It is interesting to note that the pointy haired boss, being Dilbert’s superior, is not the one to threaten Dilbert but that he actually uses his superior, the CEO, to threaten Dilbert. The reason for this shift in power is that most of the daily comics show that Dilbert and his colleagues do not actually fear the pointy haired boss. Even though he is a superior in rank, he is often viewed as an idiot by his underlings. Thus it is necessary for the pointy haired boss to reach beyond his emotion persuasion to someone who is really capable of causing impending danger. This impending danger is of course the loss of a job, which, as implied in the comic, Dilbert fears the possibility of being fired at any time for not performing to the CEO’s liking.

(1) Aristotle: The Art of Rhetoric.
(2) Scott Adams: Dilbert.