WISDOM OF THE AGES
By Lloyd J. Thomas, Ph.D.
Someone once said, "If we do not learn from our mistakes in the past, we are bound to repeat them" (or something like that). What might we learn from the wisdom of sages of long ago? If we learn from the very wise people in human history, perhaps today we can repeat what benefited humanity back then.
One of China's best loved books of wisdom is the "Tao Te Ching." It was written in the fifth Century B.C. by a man named, Lao Tzu. It has come down to us as a "classic of world literature" and Lao Tzu's sayings may be very familiar to us. For example: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Back then, Tzu wrote it as a guide for wise political leaders. I hope the example below will serve the same purpose today.
In 1985, John Heider wrote an excellent book titled, The Tao of Leadership: Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" Adapted for a New Age. He writes, "...even more important is the fact that [the] Tao Te Ching persuasively unites leadership skills and the leader's way of life:
our work is our path."
Since the tragic events in Tucson a few weeks ago, our leaders have been addressing the nature and quality of their discourse and language. I hope the quote below from Heider's book will also serve as "a guide for wise political leaders."
"The wise leader knows how to act effectively. To act effectively, be aware and unbiased. If you are aware, you will know what is happening, you will not act rashly. If you are unbiased, you can react in a balanced and centered manner.
"Have respect for every person and every issue directed at you. Do not dismiss any encounter as insignificant. But neither should you become anxious or afraid of being overwhelmed or embarrassed.
"If you are attacked or criticized, react in a way that will shed light on the event. This is a matter of being, centered and of knowing that an encounter is a dance and not a threat to your ego or existence. Tell the truth.
"If you are conscious of what is happening in a group, you will recognize emerging situations long before they have gotten out of hand. Every situation, no matter how vast or complex it may become, begins both small and simple.
"Neither avoid nor seek encounters, but be open and when an encounter arises, respond to it while it is still manageable. There is no virtue in delaying until heroic action is needed to set things right. In this way, potentially difficult situations become simple.
"If you have not bragged about your abilities or tried to make people be the way you think they ought to be, very few group members will want to encounter you anyway."
We need to learn from the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching written over 2,500 years ago. Perhaps only then will we repeat it today.
