Skip to main content

On Bucking the Odds

A good friend of mine expressed this sentiment concerning the Brett Kavanaugh nomination to the Supreme Court: "He'll get appointed no matter what Democrats do or the public does."  The same could be said about Donald Trump and Republican Senators and Representatives carrying out their agendas. 

That conclusion, while often true, reflects an attitude that disturbs me.  It's an attitude of resignation and defeat, where I would prefer an attitude of committing to the struggle despite the odds.  Now I agree that one should be as objective as possible, particularly in terms of strategizing in the face of overwhelming odds.  One's options can be extremely limited.  But if you quit the fight before it's over, you're just accepting victimization, which can quickly turn into seeking pity. 

I prefer losing in the ring to seeking pity for quitting the fight.  I believe even the person quoted above believes, or wants to believe, the same.  That person happens to be a big fan of the "Star Wars" films, a favorite scene being when Han Solo tells his android advisor, "Don't tell me the odds!",  when going into an almost hopeless battle.  Granted, in the movies the heroes always beat the odds, but the lesson for me is that people want to believe in fighting against great odds.

I recommend strongly considering continuing the fight.  Even if you lose, you are not a subject of pity if you have tried your best.  I have been criticized for tilting at windmills, but I prefer that to being criticized for surrendering too soon.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. "   - Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

- PeteBarkett.blogspot.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

 Bannon Up! This analogy is far from perfect, but it represents to me a futile mindset.   A sacrifice bunt in baseball involves giving up an out to advance a runner into a better position to score a run.   Occasionally, a pitcher tries so hard to throw pitches that are difficult to bunt, that he ends up walking the batter, which moves the lead runner into scoring position, gets no out, and puts another runner on base.   I’ve heard former coaches and players announcing games cry, “He’s trying to make an out.   Let him!”   I believe Steve Bannon wants to go to prison, to make himself a martyr and hero to the right-wing nuts who support him.   I say, let him.   I’ve heard some pundits worry that convicting him would further infuriate the right-wing nuts.   I think it’s time to abandon that type of thinking.   We have seen time after time that making concessions to appease these people is completely unproductive.   They see conces...
Post a Comment
Read more

Musings

  Right-To-Lifers Don’t Go Far Enough       I was pro-choice, but I’ve changed my mind.   The problem is not that the State should govern what a woman does with her body, the problem is that the State has not gone far enough.   The argument is that to protect the life of a fetus, the State must overrule a woman’s privacy and bodily autonomy and regulate her body for her.   Fine.   If we want the State to be in the business of protecting life through bodily regulation, then go all in.   Stick to the prime directive.   Protect all life.   The State should govern both men and women to protect life.   The State should tell any healthy person what to do with their body in order to protect life.   So, if someone needs a kidney, liver, or any organ transplant to save their life, the State should find someone and take whatever parts are needed to save that life.   If not, then we are allowing organ-icide.   (...
Post a Comment
Read more
Inspired by "Is religion a force for good in the world?" - the debates with Christopher Hitchens Let's compare general religious tenets with general humanistic tenets: I assert that to be a good humanist you must follow the rules.   To be a good religious person you must break the rules. Religious:                                             Humanistic: love thy neighbor                                   love thy neighbor do good works                                       do good works live according to the scriptures              live according to what can be drawn from evidence (science) try to follow the dictates of god       ...
Post a Comment
Read more