People Can Change
I know there is a general assumption that people don’t change who they are or their actions. For the vast majority of folks, that is probably true. However, I don’t think it is a fact for everyone, and I don’t believe that it is impossible for someone to alter their life. History gives us many examples. My personal favorite may be Chester Arthur.
Chet Arthur was the 21st President and he is overlooked by historians and popular culture, and that is a shame. His story is very interesting.
He spent the better part of his life a lazy dilettante who only got a government job through the incredibly corrupt patronage system then ruling how civil jobs were granted. He was a crony of the most powerful Republican senator Roscoe Conklin and got a post as Customs Inspector. Eventually he was fired by President Rutherford Hayes who was one of the first Presidents to try to dismantle the “spoils” system.
Arthur made little contribution anywhere and was fairly lazy who liked to enjoy the fancy life. Through political wheeling and dealing by others, he ended up by the Vice President under James Garfield. Garfield was a brilliant man and incredibly moral and ethical and took on the spoils system very aggressively. After only four months in office, he was assassinated and Arthur succeeded him.
Not one person anywhere thought any good would come of this. As a follower of the patronage method of politics, everyone assumed he would reverse all of Hayes and Garfield’s actions and be a minion of the party. Instead, he made a 180 degree turn.
While he was not a friend of Garfield’s before becoming part of the administration, Arthur became an admirer and deeply respected Garfield, and rather than go back to his own ways, he decided to emulate Garfield instead.
Not only did he continue the fight, he actually made the first significant hit that began the actual replacement of the spoils system. He also was an early fighter for civil rights. HE vetoed the original Chinese Act (that stopped Asians form immigrating to the US and took away all of their fights), and he also stopped a racist attempted court martial of a black West Point Cadet. And when the Supreme Court ruled the Civil Rights act of 1875, he badgered Congress to send him legislation to replace it, but they failed.
When he left office, a famous journalist wrote “No man entered the Presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted as Chester Arthur, and no one ever retired more respected by political friend and foe alike”. That is a pretty damn good political epitaph.
So when you don’t think you can change your behavior or actions and are doomed to keep repeating bad things, think of President Arthur and be like Chet.