Living in Character
Would you have been surprised if my leadership vision wasn’t about respect for animals? So just a warning, don’t get up out of your chair trying to find that scratchy, familiar sound you hear as you’re reading this. That’s not a broken record...just me. I’ve written a lot about respect for animals, but I’m still not sure what I’m going to do to help. Whether I’m studying them to provide the “evidence” some people need to more easily respect animals or to find ways to help them, working for a non-profit, or trying to effect change through the legal process, I know that there is one thing I will always need: a strong character.
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When I first decided that I was going to write about character, theater popped into my mind. “No, Katherine,” I kept reminding myself, “Not that kind of character, but character. You know...developing yourself? Becoming the person you think you need to be...? Ring any bells?” But the only bells that were sounding were The Bells of St. Mary’s, and that’s when I realized—acting and finding your character on the stage (or on camera) is exactly like finding it in the real world! It wasn’t until The Crucible that I discovered what acting in character really was. Before that, I just went through the motions—Ok, so Helena is supposed to be love struck (as always) at this point, so I guess I’ll make my voice sound like...this! It got the job done, but it wasn’t what I really wanted. When I played Elizabeth Proctor, however, I really absorbed myself in her story, trying to understand her suffering, the family’s dynamics, her temperament. After I internalized all that and got on stage, I changed my actions to match what she would have done. I began thinking like her. And when I had an audience, Elizabeth came out to an even fuller degree. I had found (somewhat) what it was like to act in character and embody another life so completely. This parallels quite nicely to living life in character. Sure, I can just go through the motions and make decisions from day to day without a real guiding force. But wouldn’t it be better to have a strong character, one which would direct and determine my every action, one which would allow me to live my life in a positive and helpful way? And if I ever have people looking up to me or watching me for guidance—an audience—my character could come out even stronger. Finding this character, wherever she is, is what I need to do to become a leader. I want to be someone that others look toward and respect, someone that people want to impress, and a person who inspires others to action by my example. Unlike acting, however, this character cannot be found on stage or in a script: I need to find the best within myself.
When I acted in character, I was happy when my character was happy and sad when she was sad. (In My Fair Lady)
That cheesiness aside, I’m going to look at some of the other “characters” in my life—my cousin; my godmother, Frannie; and Jane Goodall—as examples that will help shape my character. Like Siddhartha, I’m one of those people who doesn’t like to acknowledge that I can be influenced, but I cannot deny the impact of these (and other) influences that have helped develop my character.
I used to think that rationality and conviction were what created change and made good leaders but looking back on how I handle my cousin—let’s call him the Devil—has shown me that a strong character must be in place before anything else can work. Like David Letterman and Sarah Palin, the Devil and I have never gotten along. It’s quite monumental. I think he’s spoiled, rude, sexist, bossy, demanding...the list unfortunately goes on and on. I feel bad that I think this way, but I just can’t get around it. At the beginning of every few weeks that I’d spend with the Devil at my Aunt’s house near Lake Michigan, I’d try to get along with him. But his treatment of my aunt’s five cats and one very spoiled Labrador was the straw that broke this camel’s back. He tricked them, yelled at them, chased them around her property, and treated them roughly. And I, in turn, got in his face and yelled at him about it: “You can’t do that!” I’d scream. “Don’t you ever treat animals like that again!” It was a routine repeated like clockwork—and almost hourly at that. I thought that if he’d only listen to me, he’d realize what he was doing was wrong and stop. But of course he never did. Who would want to listen to someone screaming in their face? Whether my sister was just trying to have someone to play with over the break or if she was actually giving the Devil a chance, she had the right idea when she treated him like a friend. I should have tried harder to be friends with him, and, if I had, I may have been able to make some changes in the way he thought about animals. The few times I treated him nicely, he became softer and was more likely to listen. After all, I was older, he was an only child and lived in a sparsely populated area of Michigan—he probably just wanted some attention. Looking back on my summer stints with the Devil, I’ve realized that just having strong ideas—and even standing up to them—is not all it takes to lead. I needed to be someone the Devil respected and even looked up to, his friend but also his role model. And he needed to be influenced by my character, not my words.
I thought this approach would work for the Devil: it didn't.
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As opposed to the Devil, my godmother, Frannie, is a saint. For two lovely weeks every summer, I live in her home in a suburb outside Detroit, acting like a kid with my sister, her son, and her triplet daughters. While I don’t spend very much time with Frannie, I am still able to learn from her positive example and follow her lead. Frannie is incredibly nurturing and sweet and instills in her children a sense of kindness to all people. When I’m around her family, I find myself smiling at everyone and making pleasant conversation with people I don’t know more often—all things that Frannie and her husband, Gary, do with ease. Because I respect Frannie so much, her very example tempers my actions: I could never do or say anything wrong in her presence. Frannie is also a very real person, funny and easy to have a nice conversation with. By the strength of her character, she is able to lead and influence others in a simple and effortless way. As a leader, I need to possess these traits—kindness, respect for others, and approachability—in order to inspire those I am working with and create a positive environment. If I am a person that others can admire or even just enjoy spending time with, then I may be able to influence people’s actions just by my example, as Frannie does for me.
Although I’ve never had the privilege of meeting Jane Goodall, I am still very influenced by her character and her role as a global leader. In many ways I identify with her, and I feel that if I were to lead, it should be like she does. When she first came to Gombe and began working in the field, she did it her way, naming the chimpanzees, acknowledging their personalities and turning the scientific community on its head as a byproduct. She has continued to stand up for herself, her ideals and for others, protecting chimpanzees in the wild, championing their rights in captivity, and promoting peace and conservation through her Roots and Shoots program. She has an incredible inner strength, and the way she sticks to her moral convictions has created a force that would be hard to try to overcome or cross. As a leader I would need to possess the self-assuredness and fighting spirit that Jane Goodall has.
Jane Goodall's strength and perseverance are something to emulate.
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A combination of these traits is how I see myself as a leader for animal protection in the future. Animal ethics is a very hard topic to tackle in that its moral base is not as established as in other issues. For most of the people in the United States, for example, it is perfectly acceptable to wear leather—fashionable even—natural to tuck in your napkin for a big steak dinner (delicious!), and morally obligatory to perform biomedical experiments on the great apes. Many people don’t question their actions toward animals due to Descartes’ lingering assertion that animals are machines or are at least believe they are not as functional as we are. In short, there is a lot that needs to change even in people’s mindsets in order to effect workable and realistic change in the way we treat animals. Leading like Frannie is ideal for gaining people’s support and inspiring them to change, while Jane Goodall’s eternal persistence is essential for fighting an issue that will probably never truly go away. It is through developing this multi-faceted character that I hope to begin making a difference.
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So what? I know how I want to lead, but what am I actually going to do? What a good question! Can I get back to you? It’s very hard to know how to make “real-world” difference when I haven’t really lived in it all that long, but I think my college years will serve as the formative ones which teach me how to lead, assert myself, and “play nicely with others” in preparation for the rest of my life.
In World Lit I’ve already begun to learn how to lead in ways that are different from what I’ve been used to. In an obvious way, we lead our discussions and through the process learn the importance of listening to other’s opinions and questioning what we are given to study. In class I’ve been exposed to some very controversial issues, ones which are hard to handle and have been inspired to take personal action and tell others outside of the class what I have seen and what should be done. In this way I have been encouraged to question the world, learn from my peers, and make tough moral decisions. One way in which the class discourages leadership, however, is the amount of DB’s. I don’t think I’m revealing any class secrets when I say we’ve become lazy trying to finish twice weekly DB’s, and as a result we suffer by a community which is unlikely to take our work to the next level and challenge ourselves.
That being said, let me take this opportunity to challenge myself over the next four (or maybe five) years with a list of manageable college goals.
- Become involved with the CEC (Campus Environmental Center). In trying to protect animals, I think it is also very important to help the environment which is not only our habitat but everyone else’s. Maysie sent me a link to apply for a CEC officer position which I definitely think would be valuable to complete. The organization has so many things to become involved in: I am particularly interested in the Gardening, Students for a Sustainable Campus, Outreach and Recycling committees. Now that the Green Fund has passed, I can also get involved in environmental projects.
- Volunteer at an animal shelter. Now that the Plan II Perspectives class and my BDP seminar are over for the semester, my Wednesdays are much more open than they were before. I think I should take that time to begin volunteering, which will enable me to work with animals and build relationships with people who work for them. (Plus it would also be a lot of fun!)
- Get an internship at a non-profit organization. The BDP program requires that I have a “connecting experience” (either an internship or research), but I believe this is an essential experience regardless. Working at a non-profit for animals would allow me to learn how the organizations are run and what a career working for one would involve.
- Join P2SA and work to create animal-related service opportunities. I hope to run for a P2SA position this spring (with Alice, actually), and I hope that I would be able to use my influence there to create and run animal-related programs for the Plan II community. Perhaps I could organize a trip to a shelter, start a can drive, or even get a showing of Earthlings or a similar movie in the Joynes Reading Room!
- Research primates with a professor. I spoke to a professor last semester about studying some of her primates, and she said that if I took her methods class in the fall I would be able to study them. While I wouldn’t want to do lab research in the future, this would enable me to actually study primates and see what life as a researcher entails.
- Work on building my relationships with others. This final goal is at times the hardest but is the most necessary. While I can be shy, college has really opened me up to other people. As a leader it is so important to be able to speak to and work well with others.
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Once I graduate, I may still be at a complete loss as to what I concretely want to do. That’s the scary part! But what’s exciting is what I may be able to do with myself. So, in the spirit of those lists we made when we were kids that had those cute and crazy aspirations, I can make some stretch goals to look toward in the coming years which will help guide my future actions. I hope to...
1. Help pass a bill in Congress supporting animal rights.
2. Become a major executive at a non-profit. (Or maybe even start one!)
3. Hold hands with one of the residents at a chimpanzee orphanage in Africa.
4. Fight a case about animal rights to the Supreme Court—and win!
5. And shake Jane Goodall’s hand (just for fun!)
My goodness what a mouthful! (I cut this down from over 2,500 words!) Obviously, there’s a lot to be said about leadership and the role it will play in my future. All I know is that it will take a life lived in character—a character poised to protect animals, happy to lead and deal with others, and ready to take on any task.
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