Reevaluating the Influence of Grandiosity in Modern Culture Insights from Robert Moore and Walter Ong

**Reevaluating the Influence of Grandiosity in Modern Culture: Insights from Robert Moore and Walter Ong** On July 16, 2025, while working on an extensive and personal analysis of Robert Moore's 2003 book *Facing the Dragon: Confronting Personal and Spiritual Grandiosity* and Walter Ong's scholarly contributions, Rob Kall and Mike Rivage-Seul published an article inviting OEN writers to help build a progressive platform called The Arc of Justice Alliance. This initiative echoes Martin Luther King's famous assertion that "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice," prompting reflection on societal progress. Moore's *Facing the Dragon* contrasts premodern and modern cultures, using the imagery of a dragon to symbolize human tendencies toward inflated grandiosity—more prevalent in contemporary society. As the United States approaches its 250th Independence Day in 2026, we recognize our declaration of independence as a step within the Enlightenment, yet acknowledge the ongoing issues like slavery that persisted beyond 1776. Moore's analysis highlights how such grandiosity can hinder societal justice. While this discussion primarily stems from Moore's work, i...