I stumbled on a post on X this morning, a commentary on the photo of RFK eating food from McDonalds that has been making the rounds.
This photo divides Puritans from Southerners.
Puritans think because RFK Jr is on the side of health food he can never commit such a “sin.”
Southerners think a rare treat is fine & it’s more important to be gracious in a gathering than to be a stickler.
I can’t read minds, and so I don’t know what RFK’s motives were, but I do believe the post is right about Southern graciousness. Of course this disposition is not limited to the South, nor does everyone in the South live this way.
A puritanical mindset, more typical of metaphorical Puritans than literal Puritans, is flat: all virtues are equally important. A gracious mindset is hierarchical: some virtues take precedent over others. And in a traditional Southern mindset, not offending hosts or guests has high priority.