"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." These words are famously attributed to Elenor Roosevelt, wife of president Franklin D. Roosevelt, and first lady of the United States from 1933-1945. Elenor was a classy and inspirational woman whom many, myself included, look up to. But one might easily find her words condescending toward those interested in their friends and family. Being very extroverted myself, I find other people to be one of my greatest interests! Does this make me a small mind? Well, Elenor Rosevelt cannot make me feel like a small mind without my consent, but let's talk about it!
Some people are naturally interested in ideas, some in facts, and some in people. Each of these interests comes with its own set of strengths and temptations. People who are interested in other people often face a temptation to gossip, just as those interested in facts and ideas face temptations toward other things. The greatness of your mind does not depend on what interest God has placed on your heart. It depends on whether you use your mind to pursue your true interest, or if you become dissuaded by counterfeits of that interest.
When we gossip, we are engaging an interest in the bad things about people. This is a disorder of our interest in the good. Numerous bad examples of interpersonal interests in history have lead society to think that a genuine concern for the welfare of the human person is shallow. But good examples are all around us! Every humanitarian, social worker, therapist, doctor, and parent has an interest in people. Several well-known people who have been publicly recognized for their work, were motivated entirely by the needs of others. Mother Teresa was given the Nobel Peace Prize after years of walking the streets, giving love to those in need. One of her critics once said her, "I would not do that for a million dollars!" to which she responded, "I wouldn't do it for a million dollars either." She was not interested in money and fame, or the credit she would receive. She was only interested in the people around her. Perhaps the most famous interpersonal genius was Pope St. John Paul II. His interest in the human person lead him to write about marriage, family life, and the deepest desires of every human heart. His writings reflected an understanding of every person he had spoken to, and a knowledge of the good in them. In fact, his own friends from years prior recognized their own characteristics, as well as those of their spouses, in his books.
I think the most fundamental thing that Elenor Roosevelt missed was that all fields of study and profession are ordered toward the service of the human person. The purpose of political philosophy is not to study ideas for their own sake, but for the sake of the people they will effect. Medical research is not done for medicine's sake, but for human health. The purpose of discussing events and ideas is out of service to people. Discussion of people serves the same purpose, but more directly.
There have been bad examples in history of people with direct interest in people, but there have also been bad examples of people interested in ideas. Many political philosophers, including Adolph Hitler and Karl Marx, have used their interest in politics to drive society into the ground, harming millions of people. This demonstrates that discussing ideas does not make your mind great. I would argue that what does is keeping your interests oriented toward human service, rather than sacrificing societal good for personal gain.
I'm sure the people who have done the most good for others are those who have the strongest temptation toward harming people, through gossip, petty drama, and other deficits of charity. Yet they rose above the temptation, and used their interest for good. What would the world look like if each person oriented their interests toward the service of others? Whether we pursue this through ideas, facts, or people, choosing the path to virtue over the path to vice will not only enhance the greatness of the individual mind, but will advance the good of humanity.
Comments
Post a Comment