In his editorial
column in The New York Times on November 23, David Brooks attributes Lincoln's
greatness to his ability to combine the paradoxical attributes of "high
vision and low cunning."
Brooks concludes Lincoln's ability stemmed from the fact that he was "damaged
goods."
The concept of
'broken' and 'damaged' rings throughout human history. Stories from The Bible
spell out some variations on this theme. Prize winning playwright Eugene
O'Neill said, "Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God
is glue."
My observations
deviate from O'Neill's; I think we're born with the potential to be
"whole" and become broken in small or large ways in the course of
coping with the real world, rendering each of us "damaged goods".
Not even
"good enough parenting" can prepare an offspring entirely for the
outside world, because those who are lucky enough to receive unadulterated
support and encouragement at home, may be disappointed to find that they aren't
treated similarly by others. Paradoxically, the expectation of fairness can
become a liability, because, as we know, the world is not always fair.
As I concluded
in my blog of December 3, we're fortunate if we can piece together a story of
our life to help us survive and thrive.
Conclusion: We benefit
from recognizing our commonality with President Lincoln: We're all, in some
way(s), "damaged goods."
Dear Reader, I look forward to your comments: jsimon145@gmail.com.
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