The etymological origin of scandal is found in a word from the Greek language: skándalon , which referred to a stone over which an individual trips. This term reached late Latin as scandălum and then arrived in our language .
In Spanish, the skándalon stone became symbolic since the concept can refer to an event that causes shock and irritation . The scandalous, in this sense, is condemnable from a moral point of view and generates a negative impact.
For example: “The president of the Asian country was forced to resign due to a corruption scandal” , “The match ended in scandal, with the players fistfighting” , “The actress caused a scandal by attending the premiere of the movie with a transparent dress and no underwear.”
A scandal, above all, attracts attention and gives rise to a reaction from people. This reaction is usually bad : people get angry at the person responsible for the scandal because they believe that he or she did something that deserves condemnation. The scandal can be the consequence of a crime (if a ruler is discovered receiving a bribe , to cite one case), although it can also be linked to a shocking or morbid event (such as when a footballer has his girlfriend's girlfriend as a lover ). a teammate).
The scope of a scandal is different depending on the area in which it occurs, such as personal or work, the seriousness of the fact itself beyond its context (accepting money illegally is not the same as financing a prostitution business. child) and the importance at the social level of the people involved, among other factors.
In general, famous people are the ones who have the most to lose in situations of this type, since their reputation and belongings are put at risk, which in many cases amount to millionaire amounts. Of course, within this group we can distinguish artists, athletes and politicians, among other subgroups, and not all receive consequences of the same degree of severity.
In an ideal society, no famous people would commit indecent acts or violate the law , but rather they would lead exemplary lives so that their exposure would serve as a reference for their younger followers. In this world, however, the reality is practically the opposite: although crime and corruption exist in all social strata, every year journalists collect dozens of negative examples that feature actors, singers and rulers.
Artists and athletes usually have an easier time overcoming scandals, since the public can forgive their faults thinking that they are people who should be observed in their field and not in their personal lives. The hope that they will reform and become more responsible individuals is always there, and this helps most of these stories have a happy ending.
Political leaders, on the other hand, have much more difficulty overcoming scandals. Except for cases in which the protagonist enjoys a lot of power and influence, the people tend to lose faith in corrupt rulers in an instant, since the future of the country is in their hands, something too delicate to be cast by chance.
The idea of scandal, on the other hand, can refer to noise , debauchery or commotion : “I don't like the scandal in this bar” , “The restaurant was a scandal because there was a big table full of kids who were screaming and they played” , “End the scandal! “Lower your voices and behave correctly.”