Guilt and Get Up and Go

Quote of the day:
“The old repeat themselves and the young have nothing to say. The boredom is mutual.”
--Jacques Bainville

Geographic fact of the day:
Lubbock, Texas is the hub of the largest contiguous cotton-growing region in the world.

Follow-up to Imagine a Humble and Honest President:
“The last time I had a conversation with him I just walked away from that thinking that this guy, at 90 years old, has more smarts and is sharper than anybody out there in the prime of their life. The guy had so much knowledge, insight and savvy, and I think that when you’re wired like that, it’s not in your makeup to just sit and do nothing.”
--Mayor Ron Berhheimer of Indian Wells, talking about Gerald Ford.

On the surface this is an innocent enough statement, and it is certainly meant as a generous compliment to Gerald Ford. But I read something in it that bothers me.

I don’t think it is Mr. Bernheimer’s intention, but he is indirectly supporting America’s bias toward get-up-and-go. I infer from this that I am supposed to feel guilty if I am not getting up and going. To “just sit and do nothing” is seen as a negative.

One unfortunate thing about the polarization between getting-up-and-going and sitting-and-doing-nothing is that it ignores all the other options, such as getting-up-and-doing-nothing or sitting-and-doing-something.

We all know that the world is run by extraverts, especially those who make themselves known at every possible opportunity. They are the salespeople and politicians in every field of endeavor.

Yet millions of writers, musicians, artists, scientists, scholars, academics and others are introverts. They thrive in worlds with just a few other people, or in complete solitude. Monastics devote themselves to solitude and living closely in small groups as a spiritual discipline. They also remind us of the necessity of sitting and doing nothing as part of everyone’s life.

Certainly we all have to get-up-and-go every once in a while, and it’s good for us to mix things up and extend ourselves. But there’s no need to feel guilty about not getting up and going if it’s not what you’re called to do. Even if the culture says getting up and going is the “normal” or “preferable” way to live.