Wednesday, October 23, 2013

A Modern Lesson from Our History's Leaders


“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”

This quote, written by Thomas Jefferson to John Adams in the summer of 1816, defines what I like most about Jefferson’s goal, reflected through his gardening—thinking of what is best for the future of his country.  I thought it was interesting that Jefferson spent so much time “observing, experimenting, and recording” his work.  The book noted that the foundational motivation for Jefferson’s work was to find the best varieties of sustainable horticulture that were practical and applicable to the area’s culture and climate.  It’s obvious that he had the best interests of the United States in mind as he maintained his garden.  Jefferson described his work best when he said, “One service of this kind rendered to a nation is worth more to them than all the victories of the most splendid pages of their history.”

I believe Americans today could learn a lot from Jefferson’s perspective.  Often, we make decisions because we know they will benefit us either in the present or immediate future, and we often discredit or completely ignore the possible long term consequences that our country and its people could face due to our course of action.  I don’t believe this done with malicious intent; rather, we have grown accustomed to a society that demands a quick fix and easy solutions.

When thinking about the differences in Jefferson’s attitude and that of a portion of our country today, I think of several ways in which this short-sighted perspective manifests itself in our actions.  First, it causes a great amount of social unrest; second, it can lead to financial insecurity; and third, it is often the root of personal obstacles, setbacks, and difficulties. 

First, a shortsighted perception greatly affects the social wellness of our country.  One could make the argument that, when fostering an attitude of immediate satisfaction, there is a spiked increase in crime, substance abuse, and unhealthy use of technology.  Though it is difficult to pinpoint a single cause of these issues, it seems that humans’ desire to satisfy their own needs is a root cause.  I believe that crime, with the exception of those acts committed by people who suffer from a mental illness, often occur because people put their immediate needs above all else, and are willing to take drastic measures to fulfill those desires.  In addition and similarly, I believe that illegal substance abuse could be a result of people wanting an immediate escape from the troubles and difficulties of a troubled and difficult life.  A last example is the increased use of technology, where quick and at-your-fingertips entertainment and communication has caused a decrease in social interaction.

Second, I believe a lack of foresight is a leading cause of financial trouble.  It seems as though Americans struggle with being too shortsighted financially at both an individual and group level.  At a national level, our government seems unable to make financial decisions by balancing what is in our best interest both in the short run and the long run.  This is not a political statement, for it is an issue with which both major parties in the American political landscape struggle.  On an individual level, we often make purchasing or investment decisions that affect both ourselves and our families.  As the adults in our country exemplify these bad habits to our younger generations, it becomes a long-term issue that impacts our personal lives for years to come.

Third, short-sightedness causes a multitude of general, personal issues.  Some of these issues stem from the first two discussed—social and financial unrest, but many are choices that we as individuals make each day.  In an ideal world, we would foster within ourselves the wisdom to think of the future with each decision we make.  I believe that a vast majority of the stress and issues with which we deal are simply a result of not thinking how each decision affects our future.  This is applicable in school, relationships, and our health—among many others areas.  We are often not disciplined enough to make the right decision—even if it stings a little right now.

Our Founding Fathers seemed to be extremely gifted at maintaining wise perspective. Maybe our status as a “fledging nation” required each decision to be carefully weighed in terms of our future as a united people, but it seems that each decision was made out of a dutiful sense of right and wrong for our country, and not off of public opinion polls that sway with the times or off what seems right and most fulfilling for the moment.  This is one of many lessons we could learn from this great and historic group of leaders.

The discussion above it best summarized in the quote, “Don’t trade what you want most for what you want at this moment.”  It is so important for us to keep our futures in mind as we make daily, seemingly simple, decisions.

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