The Conservative Edge

This past Thursday (May 7) was Gary Cooper’s birthday. I mention this fact because Cooper was one of the great introverted actors in American history. Turner Classic Movies has a nice tribute to Cooper on its website. The TCM video, made in 1991, is narrated by Clint Eastwood.

It was appropriate for Eastwood to do the narration, since he is a self-confessed introvert. In addition, you can see some similarities between Eastwood and Cooper, in both acting styles and physical characteristics. Charlton Heston once said of Cooper that “If this wasn’t what the American man was, it was what he was supposed to be,” and I think we might be able to say the same for Eastwood.

I am writing about these actors because it seems that we don’t get to see their kind on the screen anymore. We used to at least grudgingly admire the rugged characters created by actors like Cooper, Eastwood, John Wayne, and others. We once respected the strong, silent individual who let his actions speak louder than his words. Masculinity was defined by characters like Rooster Cogburn, Dirty Harry, The Man With No Name, and even the Road Warrior. But today, masculinity is smothered by political correctness and feminism.

It might seem counter-intuitive to think that introverted actors could deliver such powerful performances on the big screen. After all, aren’t introverts supposed to be weak, quiet pushovers? Hardly. For one thing, it takes much more strength to be silent than it does to chatter on and on. I believe there is an ancient Eastern proverb that says “He who speaks does not know; he who knows does not speak.” This is the power of introversion. While many content themselves with incessant ramblings about the weather or shopping (think Tweeter), introverts are taking things in, and thinking deeply about ideas and big issues. Maybe introverts make better heroes. They are more willing to act, alone if necessary, as the idea or situation requires.

And now, I’m about to take a strange turn. You see, I’m reminded of someone who is seldom seen as a personality type. Many people read the New Testament, but how many try to imagine what kind of man Jesus Christ was? There was a live person who spoke the words recorded in the four Gospels, and He ate, cried, walked, slept, and breathed just like we do. But when many people say they “know” Jesus, I tend to think they are knowing their imaginary Jesus. My guess is that Jesus was an introvert. He was a man who acted alone when He had to. He spoke from His understanding of principles and ideas. He was a big thinker. But, He was also a very private person, and preferred to associate with a chosen few. He ultimately—tragically—faced death alone, because of what He believed in, and what He saw in us.

He made a pretty good hero, I’d say.