“The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations. This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution.”
–John Adams (Second president of the United States)
“He who knows best knows how little he knows.”
–Thomas Jefferson
“The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of our own ignorance.”
–Benjamin Franklin
“People only see what they are prepared to see.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
It can be difficult to work with other people for a variety of reasons. Some difficulties are easier to overcome than others. Often we can connect with people with a little creative sensitivity. But, sometimes it can require a great deal of patience and determination.
Why should we make this effort? There are critically important reasons to rise above our differences. To secure the safety of our communities and to resolve local problems, we will need “all hands on deck.” And, to seek a vision for the future that we can all get behind will require that we actually listen to and understand one another.
It is not necessary to compromise our personal views and beliefs. We each must maintain our personal dignity, integrity, and a confident sense of self.
That said, we will increasingly find it necessary to work with folks we may not feel comfortable with at first. The challenge is to be both self-confident and respectful as we engage with others to in the context of community.
Robert Heinlein made the point clearly when he said, “I never learned from a man who agreed with me.”
Coming to understand the personality and perspective of another individual can be useful in itself, even if no possibility of agreement exists. It can be the means for crystallizing our own thinking and beliefs. And, if we approach it as a learning opportunity, we have much to gain from one another in knowledge, skills, and experience.
Aristotle is believed to have said that “it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
Well, Aristotle did not go to high school, and neither have some of us. But, it is our job to figure out what he meant and learn how to do it!
It is important to respect the integrity and sincerity of every other human being, allowing our differences to exist freely in their own space, distinct from the roles of community-member, teammate, or friend.
Suppose we find ourselves dealing with a person who presents us with special challenges – perhaps someone who does not believe effective community to be possible, or who values their privacy to an extreme, or who just seems unreceptive?
It is almost always possible to work with someone who we find difficult if we are patient, creative, and open to finding a way. It is important to understand from the beginning, however, that in such circumstances we cannot allow ourselves be emotionally needy or easily disheartened. Such an effort calls for a pleasant attitude and a generous spirit.
Often it is impossible to know why a person remains distant or unresponsive despite our best efforts. But, pain is often hidden there, whether it is conscious or not. And, caring will always give solace, however silently it is received.
The wise do not impose themselves until they obtain a hearing. If, however, we are able to plant the seeds of community in the fertile soil of the human heart, and water them gently with loving kindness, we may not have to wait long before their green shoots spring forth into the light of day.
When we make ourselves present in the life of another without expectation or demand, healing can take place without our knowing – until the dam breaks and the feelings flow.
We need not do more than simply be as fully present as that person will allow, and wait patiently in kindness until a response comes in the fullness of time.
It might take days, weeks, or years. But it will come.
In a little book called The Miracle of Dialogue (1963), the Christian theologian Dr. Reuel L. Howe wrote that “every man is a potential adversary, even those whom we love. Only through dialogue are we saved from this enmity toward one another. Dialogue is to love, what blood is to the body…. When dialogue stops, love dies and resentment and hate are born. But dialogue can restore a dead relationship.”
Tom
Next week: Understanding the Long Crisis
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”
–Thomas Jefferson
“I am afraid we must make the world honest before we can honestly say to our children that honesty is the best policy.”
–George Bernard Shaw
“I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country.”
–Thomas Jefferson
“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.”
–Mark Twain
“A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining, but wants it back the minute it begins to rain.”
–Mark Twain
“All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation [money].”
–John Adams
“The time to save is now. When a dog gets a bone, he doesn’t go out and make a down payment on a bigger bone. He buries the one he’s got.”
–Will Rogers
“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes.”
–Thomas Jefferson
“Alexander Hamilton started the U.S. Treasury with nothing, and that was the closest our country has ever been to being even.”
–Will Rogers
“If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.”
–Billy Graham
Readers responded last week to my request for thinking about shared values for a genuine American renewal. What values can we agree on, I asked, as a foundation for a unified starting point – a common American “center” that transcends culture, religion, politics?
[This exchange of ideas took place primarily on the blog’s Facebook page, where more than 80 readers clicked post like: http://www.facebook.com/freedomstruth ]
Ideas were offered and important points were made. Values were identified and we heard the deeply felt need for government policies that reflect them. Frustrations were expressed, as well as some feelings verging on hopelessness.
I wrote of my belief that a small unified core of determined Americans could generate a powerful moral presence, if we articulate essential values clearly and project a vision for the future with a compassionate and welcoming spirit.
This would be immensely attractive to a nation desperate for the feel of solid ground beneath its feet.
A dynamic initiative will not require large numbers at the start. It will grow rapidly. I believe the vision of a civil order based on trust and responsibility will draw Americans to it from every walk of life – from every religious faith, from every economic condition and political philosophy.
A signed pledge would make individual commitment very clear. Such a pledge could be added in the back of the book, if you think this is a good idea. Please let me know what you think.
The hard part is this: It will require a willingness to temporarily set aside some of the political differences that separate us – until such time as we have secured the stability necessary to address common problems in our communities.
What is essential is not that we agree on every aspect of personal belief, but that we join with one another to restore the integrity of a civil society that allows for constructive cooperation, engaging with one another respectfully, so that we can secure the safety of our families and the economic well-being of local and regional communities.
If this is our priority we cannot allow America to disintegrate in unrestrained acrimony and hostility. We will have to choose our battles. Some will have to be fought on another day.
My request for your thinking may not have been clear regarding the distinction between government policies and the principles behind them. My intention here is to take the first step in building a foundation on which we can then proceed to structure debate and build policy.
Among genuinely committed Americans, finding common ground in our values will alter perceptions and increase our ability to actually listen to one another.
Stephen Covey wrote that “most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand.” If Americans are to recover the vision of this country as free and fair, this will have to change.
In his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey wrote:
“Every human has four endowments — self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom, the power to choose, to respond, to change.”
Our challenge is to establish a condition, a mental space, in which we can sustain this freedom and attract our fellow-Americans to it.
Having asked you last week to identify the values that should characterize such a condition, I will share those that I consider essential for a free and just society.
I add these to our commitment to defend the Constitution and respect the rule of law: Justice, equity, truthfulness, honesty, fair-mindedness, reliability, trustworthiness, and responsibility.
There you have it. These values are essentially universal, having been taught by every world religion down through the ages. Unfortunately, many of the followers of religion don’t get it, and so our work is cut out for us.
I would appreciate receiving another round of feedback from readers. Please focus your comments on basic values and the principles to live by – and share the reasons why you think the future of the world depends upon them.
Tom
In the coming weeks: Economic reconstruction and a future built on fairness.
Note to readers: You can support this blog and the book project by suggesting that your friends and associates take a look.
I cannot imagine an American renewal without a meaningful dialog concerning values.
Can we rise above our differences as Americans to agree on the most basic of shared values? Will a courageous few stand together to agree on a unified starting point – a common American “center” that transcends culture, religion, politics?
Will the center hold?
It is difficult to visualize how this can happen, yet I believe we can do it and will do it. I believe it possible in part because it is not necessary to begin with large numbers. A small unified core of determined Americans can make this happen, citizens with the tenacity and open-minded compassion necessary to assert a powerful moral presence.
If we are willing and able to present a vision for the future with a generous and welcoming spirit, it will be immensely attractive to a nation desperate for the feel of solid ground beneath its’ feet.
I believe the vision of a civil order based on trust and responsibility will draw Americans to it from every walk of life – from every religious faith, from every economic condition and political philosophy.
And, yes, this begs a question. How can we agree? We have substantial differences. This is the hard part.
What is essential is not that we agree on every aspect of personal belief, but that we join with one another to restore the integrity of a civil society that allows for constructive cooperation, engaging with one another respectfully, so that we can secure the safety of our families and the productivity of our communities.
If this is our priority we cannot allow America to disintegrate in unrestrained acrimony and hostility. We will have to choose our battles. Some will have to be fought on another day.
James Madison fought to have slavery abolished in the Constitution when it was first drafted in 1787. It was painful for him to walk away from that vision, but he realized it threatened to kill the entire project. It took decades of determination for abolitionists to finally get the job done.
Today, however, agreement on certain principles will be immediately necessary. What must these be?
What are the core principles that will put America on the road to a dynamic future? Not the core principles held dear by each of us personally, but the essential principles required to pull a diverse people together as a nation.
Each of us will have to decide what we can accept in a healthy, diverse, pluralistic American society. Each will need to consider the extent to which we are prepared to engage in meaningful dialog and debate concerning this question.
I have suggested several principles in these blog posts that I consider essential. In addition to a firm defense of the Constitution, I have written of the necessity for trustworthiness, for responsibility, and the concept of constructive action – action based on the principle of refusing to hurt or do harm, whether by impatience, dishonesty, hatred, or wishing ill of anybody.
(See especially September 26, Foundation of Trust; October 12, Bringing Light to Darkness; October 17, Finding Courage in Crisis; and December 12, First Principles.)
Now I would like to hear from readers. What principles would you ask your fellow Americans to commit themselves to? Please contribute your comments.
And, what of those who remain hardened in attitude, closed-minded, or confused? What of those who simply refuse to accept any kind of responsibility?
We must stand firm in the midst of chaos and not be moved from our choice of principles or our determination to rise above our differences.
A fully American vision can only be reached through thoughtful consultation – by discussing our hopes and beliefs with one another in good faith, exploring the fault lines where we can find common purpose and a higher calling.
A valid vision of the future will require genuine engagement and understanding. Only then can we start working together on real problems and real needs.
We are either all in, building a free, fair, and productive society, or we are each on our own in a devastated world.
Tom
A note to readers: Please share your thinking about principles and fundamental American values in your comments.
“An attempt to achieve the good by force is like an attempt to provide a man with a picture gallery at the price of cutting out his eyes.”
–Ayn Rand
“They say ‘means are after all means’. I would say ‘means are after all everything’. As the means so the end.”
–Mohandas Gandhi
Reuters image
There are two reasons why political violence will never get Americans where we want to go. One is tactical. The second is strategic – and far more important.
I do not believe foreign powers will ever seriously challenge our national integrity. 2015 is not 1776. Rather, the danger lies within. The fight involves ideas, and the sincerity of our relationships with one another.
Yet, we seem to hear implied threats of armed rebellion. One hopes the partisan will read the Second Amendment very carefully. (Please see January 2 post.)
Any patriot of today preparing for armed resistance in the tradition of 1776 will pit himself against an extraordinary opponent. He will be outmaneuvered and outgunned by fully militarized police possessing the most advanced surveillance technology and backed by massive firepower.
The mythical ideal of the citizen soldier remains deeply engrained in the American psyche. But the plain fact is, if we imagine a heroic Star Wars scenario in defense of freedom and justice, we are in la-la land.
I am not interested in arguing about this, because there is a much more significant problem with this kind of thinking. And it is this:
American police agencies and the United States military are served by Americans.
As I wrote here last week, violence committed by Americans against Americans would contradict the rationale behind the impetus to violence itself. It would be self-contradictory, pitting us against one another and subverting the integrity and viability of the American Idea as a guiding force for the good.
These are our people, our sons and daughters, friends and neighbors. They are working people. They may be working for deluded or destructive political and economic forces, but they are Americans who should be approached respectfully and won over by persuasive argument and compassionate example.
Our views on government overreach, threats to the integrity of the Constitution, or the loss of liberty in any form are serious matters that must be addressed. But, public servants, police officers and bureaucrats are not the problem.
We must respect these people, not just as a matter of principle, but because we need them. They are essential to a constructive solution.
Any resort to violence within the American community will tear the fabric of the republic and threaten the safety of our families and communities. And, it is simply not necessary.
Some may think the financial elite are our opponents or some dark conspiracy, but it will be our own people, Americans from our own communities, who serve on the front lines arrayed against the self-styled patriot-hero.
Americans will not be persuaded if we are attacked. When people are confronted with hostility we close ranks in self-defense.
Even the misguided rebellion of tiny splinter groups will be destructive to the cause of liberty. This can easily lead to cascading consequences in which violence begets violence in a downward spiral, endangering everyone and threatening the progress of constructive action.
As aggravating as our neighbors may be, it is really not necessary for us to agree about everything. Our differences must be respected, yes. But, if we want to rebuild the foundations of the republic, the American people must rise above our differences to resolve practical problems, define shared values, and together assert the moral center of the nation.
I did not say it would be easy.
The essential question to ask ourselves, and the question by which to judge constructive action, is the spirit and quality of the future we wish to secure. This is not a theoretical nicety. It is a necessity.
Going to war with our fellow citizens would make no sense. Indeed, the ends we seek could be delayed by decades and possibly destroyed by an impractical or intemperate course of action.
Tom
Next week: A Foundation Based on Values
If we are to rebuild the foundations of this nation in a manner consistent with principle, it will be wise to employ means that lead effectively to the ends we seek. Let us proceed with wisdom and foresight rather than emotion and ego.
Nothing will cause greater destruction to our purpose than a combative attitude that alienates the very people we need to win over.
If we avoid allowing our differences to tear us apart, we can choose to cooperate in addressing the structural problems that threaten the safety and security of our communities. And, it is only in the context of personal relationships tasked with essential responsibilities that we can come to understand and influence one another.
As long-time readers know, I have urged that we turn away from the dysfunction, dishonesty, and deceit of national politics to the extent possible, and join with one another to rebuild America in our local communities.
I have described three essential elements – trust, dependability, and constructive action – which will be necessary to regain stability and to move us forward. These elements will only be found in communities where neighbors rise above their differences to serve a higher purpose.
I have chosen the term “constructive action” to describe the means by which we can realistically progress. And I have explained in recent posts why a shared sense of purpose will be required to guide constructive action.
Shared purpose, I wrote, is a lens through which the challenges of necessity can be brought into focus. The efforts of diverse personalities can be coordinated. Purpose provides a standard by which to determine priorities and judge progress. In short, forward motion is essential; yet it is impossible without unity of purpose.
So, how can we understand constructive action?
Constructive action is action based on the refusal to do harm. It is action taken in a spirit of respectful kindness, a spirit founded upon the refusal to fight, to kill, or to damage. The principle here is the refusal to hurt – by impatience, dishonesty, hatred, or wishing ill of anybody.
I submit to you that this is the first principle upon which all other values, principles, and purposes depend.
Please do not misinterpret constructive action as merely a negative state of harmlessness. Quite the contrary, while constructive action in its purest form attempts to treat even the evil-doer with good-will, it by no means assists the evil-doer in doing wrong or tolerates wrong-doing in any way.
The state of constructive action requires that we resist what is wrong and disassociate ourselves from it even if doing so antagonizes the wrong-doer.
There is a close relationship between the positive spirit of kindness, respect, and trustworthiness that characterizes constructive action and the moral integrity of the free society we wish to build. The two are inseparable.
Constructive action is the means. Unity of purpose, grounded in the truthfulness of moral integrity, is the end.
Western political thinking has always considered means to be either an abstraction of tactics or simply the character of social and political machinery. In both cases means are considered only in their service to the desired ends, or goals, of particular political interests. We will approach our understanding of means in quite a different way, replacing an end-serving with an end-creating function.
Such an approach to means is necessary if we seek to apply traditional American values to rapidly changing circumstances.
This is the reason for my insistence on the meaningful engagement of all Americans in this endeavor, despite our vast diversity. A genuinely American future can only be realized in the context of our differences.
I believe this is what America has always been about. Is it what we want now, or not?
We have a clear choice to make. Either we choose to recover and reconstruct the fundamental meaning of the American Idea, or we can walk away forever from the safety, stability, and meaning of an America we can trust and believe in.
Tom
A note to readers: The next several posts will explore the meaning and implications of this “first principle.” I will take a breather for the holidays, so please look for the next post on January 2-4: “The Second Amendment, Then and Now”.
Liberty and the American Idea 