Will Rogers was born in Oologah,
Oklahoma, on November 4, 1879. After performing in Wild West shows as a young
man, Rogers broke into vaudeville and then Broadway. His folksy wit and common-sense
attitude made him one of the most famous actors and authors in the world in the
1920s and '30s. Rogers died in a plane crash in Point Barrow, Alaska, on August
15, 1935.[1]
Rogers took aim at the politicians of
his day. One of my favorite quotes, as
true today as it was in the 1930’s: “I’m not a member of any organized
party. I am a Democrat.”[2]
Rogers was an astute observer of the
human condition.
“We will never have true civilization
until we have learned to recognize the rights of others.”[3]
Eighty-some years later, we are still
struggling with the aphorism. I wonder
why it is so hard for us to recognize others’ rights?
“In the practice of tolerance, one’s
enemy is the best teacher.”[4]
We can spend a lot of time trying to get
our minds around that one. What can we
learn from our enemy? What does my
intolerance of my enemy – or anyone with whom I happen to disagree – say about ME?
“People’s minds are changed through
observation and not through argument.”[5]
There is a statement to ponder! You mean, no matter how well-reasoned and
impassioned my Facebook postings may be, I probably can’t change the mind of
someone who disagrees with me? It is
that person’s observations (and insights) that can only do that?
So, why are we having such vitriolic arguments
on Facebook????
“Nothing makes a man more broad-minded
than adversity.”[6]
Now, there I might take issue with Mr.
Rogers. I can see how, writing during
the Great Depression, that the loss of property, a way of life, can make some
people more open minded and agreeable to seeing the other side.
However, we see in the rise of Nazi
Germany, that adversity can lead to the rise of demagogues and a restriction,
rather than opening of the mind.
I’ve always thought that witty quotes
from famous people, like Will Rogers, are valuable not necessarily because they
give us “the Truth” or “the Answer,” but because they give us the opportunity
to consider what is said, and weigh it against our experience, reason and
insight.
Now, what can I learn from my enemy?
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