Extraordinary Lives
C.S. Lewis says that “The work of a Beethoven and the work of a charwoman become spiritual
on precisely the same condition, that of being offered to God, of being done humbly ‘as to the Lord.’”
This falls into his rebranding of the word spiritual in the context of vocation, and, in particular, the call to
study – both in times of war and in times of peace. Lewis presents the teleological argument that the
existence of impulse and faculty prove they must have a function in God’s scheme (from Aquinas)
through appetite and humility. Lewis claims “an appetite for these things exists in the human mind, and
God makes no appetite in vain,” and “Humility, no less than the appetite, encourages us to concentrate
simply on the knowledge or the beauty, not too much concerning ourselves with their ultimate
relevance to the vision of God.”
After justifying academic pursuits, Lewis notes the importance of tempering appetite for loving
knowledge more than the thing known. He calls this the essential nature of the learned life, and notes
three mental exercise that can serve as a defense against the “three enemies which war raises up
against the scholar:” excitement, frustration, and fear. Excitement is another word for distraction, and
distractions never cease in our lives. “They come both in war and peace.” Frustration discusses the
shortness of life, and how feelings of ineptitude or lack of time can deter our pursuits…Lewis suggests
the response is to live and work “from moment to moment ‘as to the Lord.’” Lastly, fear is a constant
companion. It isn’t necessary to defy fear, but Lewis wants us to “guard against the illusions of the
imagination.” War forces us to remember death, it makes death real to us. The value in making death
real is the resultant awareness of our mortality. We have to know that we can’t “turn the present world
from a place of pilgrimage into a permanent city satisfying the soul of man.” We should know that the
life of learning, when humbly offered to God, is “one of the appointed approaches to the Divine reality
and the Divine beauty which we hope to enjoy hereafter.”
Aristotle suggests that a person of virtue will live a short life of great action and splendor over a
long life of steady accomplishment and satisfaction. I think that Aristotle is right insofar as men of noble
character are likely to have, or respond to, a calling of a more significant nature. I think this is a
comment on the nature of altruism as something that is magnificent or maximally excellent, and if a
person is able to embody this quality (altruism), that they are an excellent person. That being said, I do
think there is some merit to considering the person who recognizes a call to make a personal sacrifice
(say of life) for another, and decides to not sacrifice themselves in the name of stewardship or
something like it. If one recognizes the need for their resources or talents in another dimension of life,
or in another calling that is perhaps less immediate, I would argue that, provided they are not injust in
avoiding a sacrifice in the name of stewardship, they are just as praiseworthy than the person who
sacrifices themselves in the more immediate circumstance.
We discussed Homer’s Iliad and Martyrdom of Perpetua last time
Leading Lives that Matter asks us to consider whether Therese’s life is significant, and if we think
it is extraordinary or ordinary. I don’t believe I would consider any life ordinary, but for the purpose of
discussion, I would say that There’s life is indeed more extraordinary than many others. I was confused
by the juxtaposition of Marxism and Catholocism in Day’s account, and I do not know if I would describe
Therese’s life as heroic, as suggested in The Story of a Soul – “What kind of a saint was this who felt that
she had to practice heroic charity in eating what was put in front of her, in taking medicine, enduring
cold and heat, restraint, enduring the society of mediocre souls, in following the strict regime of the
convent of Carmelite nuns which she had joined at the age of fifteen?” This made me think about
creation, and the meaning that I derive from that creation. Therese had a meaningful life because of her
relationship with God, and the knowledge that she would create a world of “little flowers.” I wouldn’t
be able to live that kind of life, because I am not confident enough in my belief in God, the afterlife, and
the merit of that kind of suggested “heroic charity.”
In considering the three lives, I am not sure which is the most or least admirable, but I am
inclined to think that each of their lives mattered. It is hard to comment on the significance of their
lives, because I think significance is relative to a perspective. Iris Chang may have been the most
significant to anyone who had a family member that died in the Nanking Incident. Ray Kroc may have
been the most significant to a young child that was able to support their family by working at McDonalds
– this raises a question of whether or not you need to be known or acknowledged by someone in order
to be significant to them. I would argue that you do not need that aspect of a relationship in order to be
significant. Lastly, Joe Landrum made a huge sacrifice for his wife in order for her to pursue her
vocational aspirations and calling to be a politician. He has many roles in his life, and ultimately worked
so others could live well.
Thomas Gray’s Elegy…don’t even know how to process this.
Keohane Leadership
I agree with the definition of Leadership Keohane suggests in her first chapter: “providing
solutions to common problems or offering ideas about how to accomplish collective purposes, and
mobilizing the energies of others to follow these courses of action.” I appreciate the distinction that she
draws early on between formal and informal leadership as well as the importance of confidence in
establishing leadership. Power is an immediate player in the discussion, as exemplified in Lord of the
Flies.
Later, Keohane provides another definition of Leaders: “Leaders determine or clarify goals for a
group of individuals and bring together the energies of members of that group to accomplish those
goals.” Keohane notes that leadership is not specific to humans, and can also be found in animal life.
Max Weber distinguishes between Macht (power) as “the probability that one actor within a social
relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will despite resistance” and Herrschaft
(authority/leadership) as “the probability that a command given within a specific context will be obeyed
by a given group of persons.” I confess that holding power is appealing to me. ***example of Ole Band
Devo – context of power vs. vulnerability, why I enjoyed it, gratification from helping people or telling
my story  attention or something else?***
Keohane clearly appreciates the multifaceted nature of Leadership and the role of situational
leadership and/or the importance of context. Keohane suggests many layers of follwership and the
necessity of shared goals/vision in order to motivate followers. That being said, she also claims that
“goals do not have to be shared in the sense of being intrinsically valued by the foolowers.” I think this
relates to Max Weber’s qualification of leadership to contain “a certain minimum of voluntary
submission.”
Drawing distinctions between leaders, managers, and governors, is suggestive, but ultimately
misleading, as “leaders are often engaged in managing or directing other people; successful managers
usually display [many] of the behaviors we identify with leadership.”
I agree that good leadership can be viewed both ethically as well as in terms of success,
although part of me wants to think that good leadership involves foresight (a concept from Servant
Leadership by Robert Greenleaf), which is intrinsically tied to ethics.
In her chapter on Followers, I found myself agreeing with almost everything Keohane had to say.
In particular I appreciate the Burns Paradox, and thought of an example which I really like, and
complements the concept I have about leadership, which is that it is a trait common to all people.
Alcoholics Anonymous example***