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.

Some of you may recall my post about a particular column written by Kathleen Parker. I was moved to write her in response to her piece, as she insinuated that we, as readers, should suddenly be as nice to Barack Obama as we were hateful to George Bush. I merely wanted to remind her that many people learn to be hateful or judgemental from the ideas presented by columnists and writers such as herself.

It appears that another column written by Kathleen Parker is due a response as well. The April 10 edition of the Dayton Daily News featured her commentary, in which she asserts that Obama’s method of world leadership utilizes his ability to listen to others, and shows his humility. There is nothing wrong with being able to listen or being humble. The trouble is, Parker thinks that testosterone is what makes a man arrogant and aggressive, and the lack of testosterone is what makes a man a good listener. This is a great misrepresentation, and a hasty generalization.

Parker completely overlooks the principle of personality types. She is blindly accepting the recent notion that testosterone-powered male leadership is the cause of America’s problems. As I noted before, columnist William Kristof maintains that since Wall Street is dominated by male traders, it was testosterone that drove men to make poor trades, resulting in the market’s nose dive. Parker is making a similar point. She says that, “If George W. Bush was a cowboy, Obama is a group hug.” She also claims, “Unfortunately, most of world history seems to have pivoted on the balance or imbalance of hormones, with testosterone presenting the greatest challenge.”

Nonsense. If that were true, Parker would effectively be ruling out the opportunity for female leadership, since women suffer more hormonal and mood swings than men ever do. It is a gross oversimplification to think that a man’s social skills and decision-making process is controlled solely by his testosterone levels.

What makes an individual a listener or a talker? Why do some people recharge their batteries in solitude, while others get energized in social gatherings? It’s simple. The personality type—or psychological profile, if you will—determines most of a person’s typical behavior. It has been discovered that there are several personality types. We have, for example, the thinking introvert who uses his senses to make logical and reasonable decisions. There are also extroverted people who have keen intuitions, and enjoy the whole conversational and social processes. Furthermore, we all have minor, opposite sides that complement our preferred behaviors. The introvert actually has a warm, social part of his personality that must be exercised from time to time. Conversely, the extrovert must recognize that he must pay attention to his quiet self, and nourish the inner man away from the noisy crowds.

I would encourage anyone to find out more about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. You will be able to find out your personality type by taking a simple test. The test is simply a set of questions that ask you about your preferred way to handle certain situations, and how you choose to make judgements and decisions. For example, I found that my Type Indicator is expressed as “ISTJ.” This means that I am an introverted person (the “I”) who uses fact and more linear thought (the “S and “T”) to arrive at a clear judgement (the “J”). I’m proud to say that I have the same profile as Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein. No kidding.

So, I think Kathleen Parker has it all wrong. If Obama is a good listener, maybe he has introversion as his dominant process. If he is instead an extrovert, then maybe he chose to exercise his complementary side while he was in Europe, using his minor ability to be humble and listen to others. I just hope he can keep his humility with those he actually governs here at home.