“Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and almost always leads to love.”
― John Steinbeck
Lyndon Johnson has to be one of the most interesting characters in history.
As the President of the United States, he had noble ambitions and achievements. He passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. He also launched many significant programs to improve the quality of life for the poor, including providing better access to healthcare and education.
But he was also known to be cunning and ruthless, as he was willing to do anything at all to realize his ambitions. He stole elections. He bribed. He threatened. He cajoled.
While he was in the Senate, he even convinced the racist Southern Democrats that he was on their side, in order to get their support and build his political standing. For many years, he voted against civil rights measures. And when he finally had the power as President, he used it to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
One of the keys to understanding Lyndon Johnson’s multifaceted character is his arduous upbringing. Growing up in backbreaking poverty in Texas, he developed a deep sense of empathy for the downtrodden. So, even at an early age, he harbored ambitions of becoming the President someday.
He learned that if he were to achieve better things for himself, and even for others, utter realism and pragmatism were necessary. He learned that power wouldn’t fall on his lap. Rather, power had to be taken, by hook or by crook.
As you learn more and more about Lyndon Johnson’s character, you couldn’t help but feel some degree of sympathy for him. In full view of everything he did — the good, the bad, and the ugly — you’d understand that ultimately, he was simply a human being like the rest of us.
You’d understand, for instance, the extent to which his upbringing impacted him. Besides driving his determination to achieve great things for himself and for his people, he was also ashamed, deeply ashamed, of being poor. It was a lasting source of insecurity that haunted him to the grave.
There’s a story about Lyndon Johnson, when he was the Senate Majority Leader. He was in Paris for the first time for a NATO conference, and he was invited for a formal dinner. He was so afraid to leave his hotel room, out of worry that he might embarrass himself. At the last minute, he decided not to go. Instead, he sent his speechwriter to take his place at the dinner.
As his speechwriter recalled, a French senate member approached him and asked where Lyndon Johnson was.
“He couldn’t come tonight,” the speechwriter told the French senator.
“Oh, I was so looking forward to meeting the greatest Parliamentarian in the Western world,” the French senator said in return.
The greatest Parliamentarian in the world. And he was afraid to leave his hotel room.
Understanding, or empathizing with why a person is the way they are, isn’t about condoning their bad character or wrongdoings. And neither is it about solely letting their good qualities define them. It’s about having a balanced, neutral view of who they are.
When you understand a person holistically, you remember that they are no different from you. You remember that we’re all human, that we all have our own sets of insecurities and personal struggles.
And when you remember that we’re human, you can be more accepting of others, for all they’re worth. You can be kinder to every person you meet. You can reserve your judgments and be more accepting of people, instead of seeing them in black and white, and letting their good or bad qualities shape your entire perception of them.
Understand others, and you could learn to be more accepting of yourself, too.
Izzat Zailan 