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Written by Morris, 19, December 2007:

In our world most people gain satisfaction by proving their own strength to others, unfortunately often at the expense of the next person. When in fact ostentation reveals the not so attractive truth, which is fear and vulnerability. Booker T. Washington knew that you don’t have to degrade another to promote yourself when he said “There are two ways of exerting one’s strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up”. This quotation is both favorable and important to me for a few reasons: it reminds me that there is great valor in being supportive of others, it also amazes me that the lips these words left belonged to someone who could have easily been resentful and bitter but who instead was altruistic even after the hardships of slavery and oppression.
Today, our culture is one of self promotion and success at any cost. The question of how to increase ones income and social status seems to be on the top of peoples priorities. Technology has made everything almost instantaneous and the general consensus is that there are not enough hours in the day. With that being established, someone taking time out of their schedule to help another person with no tangible gain for themselves is becoming rarer and rarer. Because of this when you do help another person they will take notice and appreciate the selfless gesture even more.
Booker T. Washington was born on a plantation and freed of slavery by the Emancipation Proclamation, his freedom from illiteracy and oppression though was gained all by his own drive, intelligence and hard work. Instead of having hate for the cards he was dealt he used education to achieve what he wanted. The fact that the quote was said by a man with his history makes it that much more insightful to me. What I mean is that if he had that much clarity, peace and understanding of himself and the world around him what excuse could I ever have for not helping others, or “pulling up”.
I can truly say that I love Booker T. Washington for everything that he was but more importantly everything he wasn’t. He did not succumb to the ignorant and racist people in his world attempting to oppress him. He did not resort to violence in the face of hate; he achieved everything he wanted without using someone else as a stepping stool. This quote means so much to me because of its obviousness and its genius. I consider someone who brings one person out privation stronger then someone who’s ruined hundreds of their competitors to get to the sought after “top”.


 

 
 

 
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