09 Nobel Peace Prize
A good friend recently shared his thoughts on the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama. He wrote:
“One of the 'issues' that I have wrestled with throughout my life has been the issue of Being and Doing. Our society, in fact most societies, judge or measure people based on what they do... That is how we measure the physical, material, side of our existence. Our society, particularly American society, does not put much weight on our 'Being'.”
“Most religions and many philosophies consider that a person's real value, the person's real measure, is not in the physical or material accomplishments they achieve, but rather in their Being...”
He went on to write that “…Pres. Obama was appropriately awarded the Nobel Peace Prize based on his Being, which was recognized as a fundamental contribution to World Peace at a time when the nature of so many leaders, particularly those who had gone before him, is too materially focused, and when measured in spiritual or non material terms, were negative to the point of being evil. Or they were simply nothing (Vapid) and had no impact one way or another......”
I confess that when I heard the news, I had not thought about it that way. My immediate response was "he hasn't done enough to merit the Prize yet. Not that he won't, it just hasn't happened yet." My next thought was that the committee is putting pressure on him - giving him something to live up to as President. And recognizing his potential. His potential for “doing.”
My friend is right that we in the rationalist, utilitarian West, and particularly in America, place way too much emphasis on doing. Our sense of individual self-worth is a function of how much we possess or control, how much we accomplish, and our perception of how others value us. And how others value us is dependent on their perception of our “doing” more so than our “being”.
Last night I watched the movie, “Frost/Nixon,” on the long flight to Dubai. In it, as you will recall if you have seen it, former President Nixon calls David Frost one night after over indulging his favorite alcoholic beverage and reveals the essential motivation of his life: to prove to the "Eastern snobs" that he is worthy to be in their company. Nixon tells Frost that they are alike - both from very humble, middle class beginnings, both struggling all their lives to prove their worth, and both fighting to get back into the light. Nixon was desperate for the public to judge him not by Watergate but by his prior accomplishments. What a poignant example of putting all the emphasis on doing and missing the importance of being - what many would call character. And as with Nixon, all too often failures of character or being undermine our doing.
Being and doing are inseparably joined. How can I, or a Nobel Prize committee, perceive the being or character of another apart from his/her doing? Maybe this is what Jesus had in mind when He said "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
There are many, many people in the world who are letting their light shine in that manner. It is likely that President Obama was awarded the Nobel for peace because he is one of those or at least so far appears to be and he is the U.S. President. And as President his quality of being or character can make a huge difference in the world for good or for ill.
Would it be fair to say that your doing, however large or small your sphere of influence, is potentiated by the quality of your being (character)? Which brings me back to where I started when I first heard the news. President Obama was a good choice this year. I would only add to my friend’s analysis that Pres. Obama’s quality of being potentiates his quality of doing. Or to be more honest...I hope so.
“One of the 'issues' that I have wrestled with throughout my life has been the issue of Being and Doing. Our society, in fact most societies, judge or measure people based on what they do... That is how we measure the physical, material, side of our existence. Our society, particularly American society, does not put much weight on our 'Being'.”
“Most religions and many philosophies consider that a person's real value, the person's real measure, is not in the physical or material accomplishments they achieve, but rather in their Being...”
He went on to write that “…Pres. Obama was appropriately awarded the Nobel Peace Prize based on his Being, which was recognized as a fundamental contribution to World Peace at a time when the nature of so many leaders, particularly those who had gone before him, is too materially focused, and when measured in spiritual or non material terms, were negative to the point of being evil. Or they were simply nothing (Vapid) and had no impact one way or another......”
I confess that when I heard the news, I had not thought about it that way. My immediate response was "he hasn't done enough to merit the Prize yet. Not that he won't, it just hasn't happened yet." My next thought was that the committee is putting pressure on him - giving him something to live up to as President. And recognizing his potential. His potential for “doing.”
My friend is right that we in the rationalist, utilitarian West, and particularly in America, place way too much emphasis on doing. Our sense of individual self-worth is a function of how much we possess or control, how much we accomplish, and our perception of how others value us. And how others value us is dependent on their perception of our “doing” more so than our “being”.
Last night I watched the movie, “Frost/Nixon,” on the long flight to Dubai. In it, as you will recall if you have seen it, former President Nixon calls David Frost one night after over indulging his favorite alcoholic beverage and reveals the essential motivation of his life: to prove to the "Eastern snobs" that he is worthy to be in their company. Nixon tells Frost that they are alike - both from very humble, middle class beginnings, both struggling all their lives to prove their worth, and both fighting to get back into the light. Nixon was desperate for the public to judge him not by Watergate but by his prior accomplishments. What a poignant example of putting all the emphasis on doing and missing the importance of being - what many would call character. And as with Nixon, all too often failures of character or being undermine our doing.
Being and doing are inseparably joined. How can I, or a Nobel Prize committee, perceive the being or character of another apart from his/her doing? Maybe this is what Jesus had in mind when He said "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
There are many, many people in the world who are letting their light shine in that manner. It is likely that President Obama was awarded the Nobel for peace because he is one of those or at least so far appears to be and he is the U.S. President. And as President his quality of being or character can make a huge difference in the world for good or for ill.
Would it be fair to say that your doing, however large or small your sphere of influence, is potentiated by the quality of your being (character)? Which brings me back to where I started when I first heard the news. President Obama was a good choice this year. I would only add to my friend’s analysis that Pres. Obama’s quality of being potentiates his quality of doing. Or to be more honest...I hope so.
posted by Randall E. Butler at 4:30 AM
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