The Paradoxical Teddy Bear
Theodore
Roosevelt once said, “Speak softly and
carry a big stick; you will go far.” This
has been my motto since I first heard it. I even reference it whenever I find
myself in a difficult situation.** But during the beginning of my junior year
of high school, I had no clue as to who the man behind the proverb was.
Coincidentally, it was also during the same year that my Regional Studies
teacher
assigned a president research project for their class. Out of curiosity, I
instinctively chose Theodore Roosevelt. And after several hours of reading and
watching biographies on “Teddy,” I became even more intrigued with him.
1
Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick
He was a man who was a
contradiction: a compassionate, nature-loving, and benevolent American
president who was at the same time a tenacious and exacting hardliner when he
handled his country’s affairs. Roosevelt was
the epitome of balance between his two seemingly polar descriptions, able to
walk the fine line dividing compassion and austerity. Because of this integrative
ability to “speak softly” and “carry a big stick,” Theodore Roosevelt is my
role model.
The first aspect of Roosevelt’s
paradoxical nature is his ability to express seemingly infinite and patient
compassion for people and the environment.** While Roosevelt was in his
presidency, he instituted many reforms and acts that preserved nature and
advocated better human welfare.** Exploring a few of these instances will
unveil the underlying compassion that Roosevelt possessed.**
As one of history’s fervent
conservationists, Roosevelt knew the
importance of conserving nature and began to work when he went into office.** By
the time Roosevelt left his presidency, he had
established five national parks, eighteen national monuments, fifty-one
wildlife preserves, four game preserves, and one-hundred and fifty national
forests.
2
Roosevelt in Wyoming
Another example of Roosevelt’s
compassion for nature deals with a popular (and perhaps urban) legend. According
to the legend, the stuffed “Teddy” bear was also named after Roosevelt
due to an occasion where he refused to kill an old trapped black bear.
Realizing that the snared animal was helpless and weary, the president called
it unjust and “unsportsmanlike” to kill the bear. A few weeks later, newspapers
and cartoonists publicized “Teddy” as a nickname for Roosevelt
and it eventually became the name of a stuffed animal.
3 The Teddy Bear
Roosevelt
did much to preserve nature and the environment, but his chief compassionate
acts were towards mankind. On a New Year’s
Day reception in 1907, thousands of people showed up at the White House to
shake President Roosevelt’s hand. Roosevelt
took it upon himself to shake as many hands as possible, setting an estimated
record of “fifty hands a minute, three-thousand an hour.”
4
Compassion for the People
The President setting aside his own time to personally
meet ordinary American citizens on a family holiday expresses incomparable compassion.
This is only one of many examples of Theodore Roosevelt’s deep devotion and service
towards people.**
Roosevelt’s
compassion was genuine, fitting Ram Dass’ definition of “natural compassion.”
Instead of making service “a duty,” he made it a “habit” for himself, practicing
a “way of natural compassion.” Given
that he was president, one may argue that Roosevelt
was obligated to serve his people regardless of whether he cared or not, compromising
of challenging his “natural compassion.” However, in order to become a great president,
one must already show compassion and leadership surpassing mere duty. Simply
put, his compassion and responsibility to his people were some of the main
reasons why he was in the White House in the first place.
The counterpart to Roosevelt’s
compassion is his staunch and austere duty that sets him apart from other
“compassionaries,” or people who practice compassion
5
A Serious Side to Teddy
It
is because of Roosevelt’s righteous and persevering
nature that he was able to accomplish great things. “Trust busting,” a phrase
most often associated with his presidency, is an example of his righteousness.
Believing big businesses and monopolies to be detrimental to the common people
of the country, Roosevelt dissolved many
corporate trusts. This fragmentation favored the working class, who were the
common majority. By implementing antitrust laws, healthy competition was able
to surface. Healthy competition not only helped the economy of the United States,
but it gave people more opportunities to succeed with businesses. Trust busting is one of the many examples showing
Roosevelt’s active commitment to his country
and his people.**
6
Hero of the Masses
In addition to his practical
righteousness, Roosevelt believed that a
person was only as credible as their character and integrity. Outward
appearances did not matter. Only a person’s intrinsic properties defined them.**
In a letter that he wrote from his home at Oyster Bay, the president spoke his
mind on how a person should be judged:** "There are good men and bad men of all
nationalities, creeds and colors; and if this world of ours is ever to become
what we hope some day it may become, it must be by the general recognition that
the man's heart and soul, the man's worth and actions, determine his
standing."
Interestingly, a parallel to Roosevelt’s
philosophy is in the last line of the poem Gawain and the Green Knight.**
The phrase, “HONY SOYT QUI MAL PENCE,” which translates to be “Shame
upon him who thinks evil of it,” is given as a lesson to any intolerant man or
woman.** Roosevelt’s belief in tolerance recalls Gawain’s motto.**
7 Gawain
8 Theodore "Roughrider" Roosevelt
To a certain extent, there is another similarity between Roosevelt
and Gawain.** While Gawain was a chivalric knight of Arthur’s roundtable,
Theodore Roosevelt was well-known for his rugged and stubborn “cowboy” persona
from his service in the “Rough Riders” division during the Spanish-American War.
In a way, both the knight and the cowboy are resilient and do not yield to any
obstacle.** Firm resolve is another similarity between the two. **
As a president who was aggressive in foreign diplomacy, Roosevelt did not stray or cower from his goals.** Though
some policies such as his “Gunboat diplomacy,” a negotiating tactic that
utilized brawn, are debatable, the crucial point to extract is that he had the
necessary courage to stand up and fervently defend what he believed in. Roosevelt staunchly pursued what he believed to be just. This
determination and action is the second component that coexists with his
aforementioned “natural compassion.”** According to Joseph Campbell’s
definition, a hero is one who is “dedicated
to the morals not of his time but of his art.” Because
Roosevelt was focused on his duties and was
never uncertain of himself, he is a hero.**
Roosevelt is
more than a hero to me. He is a role model whose compassion and determination
has inspired me to pursue tasks in my life without inherent fear, uncertainty,
and hesitation. I believe that Roosevelt was a
“fearless compassionary,” or one who is not afraid to pursue his or her beliefs
and is resolute with helping people. Once he committed to a cause, he never
doubted himself. This is the inner strength that I believe every individual
should possess regardless of who they are or what they do.
After Roosevelt’s presidency ended in 1909, the former
president decided to run again. However, he lost the Republican Party
nomination to Howard Taft. When Roosevelt
demanded an explanation for his loss, the party deemed him “no longer fit for
office.” Theodore Roosevelt dauntlessly retorted with “I’m as fit as a
Bull-moose,” showing that he was still
strong and capable. As a result of this instance and his strong personality,
the Bull-Moose, or Progressive Party, was formed. The party was not successful.
However, Roosevelt left a strong imprint in
history, showing his commitment to his country and his want to change the
“corrupt” system. The Bull-moose party was an example of the president’s
fearlessness that I wish to possess.
9
"Fit as a Bull-moose."
Though one may
associate Roosevelt’s traits with only
politics, his persona and philosophy can be used by anyone, regardless of
occupation, label, or role. For a person like myself who is interested in a
medical or healthcare career, I hope to carry out my tasks and duty like
Theodore Roosevelt. If I am fearless and sure of myself when I operate, then I
will be able to offer reassurance to my patient. As Chokyi Rinpoche notes in Medicine and Compassion, “If patients
get the feeling that someone really cares about them and wants to help them,
then their fear diminishes.”
10
Fearless
If I am able to
free my patient’s mind of fear, then I am, in a sense, healing their mind. The
process of healing a mind will, in some way or other, help with their actual
physical recovery. Because Roosevelt was able
to remove fear from his people in a successful way, I wish to emulate his means
of doing so by becoming fearless and caring more.
11 Roosevelt:
A Compassionary, a Hero, and a Paradox.
Roosevelt's heroic
qualities should not be classified and categorized. To truly understand him,
one must acknowledge his unified respect for duty and compassion. Roosevelt is a paradox: he is compassionate yet dutiful. Theodore Roosevelt spoke softly through his
compassion, but wielded a firm sense of duty and righteousness as his
metaphorical big stick. Out of many people in history, few individuals have
been able to combine idealism and pragmatism into a viable practice. Theodore
“Teddy” Roosevelt, however, was one of them.**