Humiliation? Valditara clarifies: a slip of the tongue, what term did he want to use

Controversy broke out on social media and in the world of politics over the use of the term “humiliation” by Giuseppe Valditara. The Minister of Education and Merit of the Meloni government tried to clarify, revealing the real term he would like to use in his speech after a long message of apology: “On Monday, in a conference, there was talk of serious episodes of violence committed by students over teachers. I was thinking of the well-known case of a boy who punched a teacher. I said suspending that boy for a year doesn’t make much sense, much better to hold him accountable by making him do socially useful work I wondered if this could represent a humiliation for that violent boy. When a sanction is imposed, it often generates a humiliation of the ego itself in those who receive it. Some violent children have difficulty admitting their mistakes, apologizing fairly because it leads to a reduction of their hypertrophic self”.

“And yet – continued Valditara – I believe it is fundamental to learn the humility of apologizing, of admitting one’s mistakes, of recognizing one’s limits in order to grow and mature. In this sense, I used the term ‘humiliation’. Live narration can sometimes give rise to misunderstandings. I have no trouble feeling sorry for myself if the term used seems out of tune to some. But I reconfirm the message verbatim. In a society of arrogance, to which our young people are increasingly accustomed by social media, we need to respond by strengthening the culture of respect and rediscovering a fundamental value, humility. Without humility, we will never be able to grow, mature and learn. I would add – he concludes after explaining humility and humiliation – that it is precisely arrogance, the refusal of humility, that is the antechamber of extremism”.