Carl's father, the Chief of the Dalesmen, says:
"'People are people, you can't change them much and a Chief has to take them as they are. Never forget that it's their will which keeps him Chief.'" (p. 53)
Each of us can set out to change himself but it is not our responsibility to try to change anyone else although the Chief displays considerable insight by adding "...much..."
In my childhood, adults did their best to guilt-trip me for not conforming to their expectations but they did not make me the kind of person they wanted. For one example, I insisted on continuing to write with my left hand. Unfortunately, I disregarded a lot of what they said that did make sense but I just had to learn for myself. See Written Wisdom. If our elders talk some nonsense, how can we differentiate the sense?
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
You must have been among the last of left handed people whose teachers tried to force them to write with their right hands. I too am left handed and no one tried to force to use my right hand for writing. So I was spared that much!
And I agree with Carl's father, a wise Chief (or what ever else a ruler is called) HAS to accept people as he finds them. And basically be content with simply persuading them to do what he believes should be done. True, sometimes a leader has to be more forceful, but it has better be for a good reason!
Sean
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