“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” —Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough For Love
Welcome to the Renaissance Humans Newsletter, where I focus on sense-making and story-telling in the turbulent twenties. The Renaissance (“rebirth,” in French) spanned from the 14th to the 17th century and marked a period of cultural, artistic, and intellectual renewal in Europe. A Renaissance Human fosters curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and character in a journey of never-ending learning. They cultivate Mind, Body, and Spirit, in service of Community, and oriented to the Transcendentals.
When I was a new guy in the SEAL Teams, I was cocky. I thought I knew much more than I did. Pranced around like a royal fool. Some of that I think is just being in your early twenties, no matter what field you’re in. Fortunately, I had good mentors, who stressed the importance of humility. Any time I got a little big for my britches, I had Teammates who would gladly assist me back down to Mother Earth.
For some, “it’s not bragging if you can do it.” Now, that is true. But I’ve never counted myself among their camp. At least not since my New Meat days.1
Humility gets a reputation as if you’re somehow getting down on yourself— that you have self-esteem issues. Perhaps that is true for some, but I don’t believe it holds for most. I favor the expression, “humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”
Everybody wants to jump in a helicopter, storm the castle, and rescue the princess (I’m looking at you, Breachers2). Get back in time for breakfast from the base dining facility. This is the flashy, sexy, movie-worthy vision of a Commando. Few want to lay with the Snipers, shivering in the rain for a week, eating cold rations, and doing the painstaking work of developing intelligence on the target location.3 Now, there are plenty of Humble, Workhorse Breachers, so perhaps I am stretching this example too far to illustrate the point. I am being unfair to the Breachers, and more dangerously, breaking the terms of the uneasy truce in the Sniper-Breacher Wars. Reawakening such an ancient enmity is never well-advised.
So, what is best— to be a Self-Important Showhorse, or a Humble Workhorse? This dichotomy is an old one, normally deployed to describe the types of humans that populate the U.S. Senate chamber. Do you quietly work behind the scenes, or grandstand for the cameras? The Sizzle or the Steak? Style or Substance?
One of the many problems with our political discourse at the moment seems to be our Showhorse/Workhorse ratio is off. The modern world rewards Showhorses. Glamorizes them. Perhaps it has always been so. Maybe there were Neanderthal Showhorses back in the day, crowing about their sweet cave paintings (But the Workhorses actually got the berries for dye and all the tools). Being a Workhorse seems so boring. So much effort, and what is the payoff? We’d rather be seen to be doing something, rather than actually doing it. This is something Air Force Colonel John Boyd discussed in his famous question, “to be or to do?” Now that I think about it, I wonder if there is a correlation between Hedgehogs/Showhorses on one side, and Foxes/Workhorses on the other. Hedgehogs do make the best TV pundits, which is classic Showhorse behavior. (See Foxes vs. Hedgehogs)
We need the Showhorses— they call attention to issues, they get funding, make networking connections with charisma and confidence. An essential part of being a leader is showmanship and salesmanship. These traits are important for relations to your subordinates, superiors, and adjacent organizations.
But we need the Workhorses too. Those that do the unsexy nuts and bolts, deep in the details. They’re not worried about credit; they simply want to get the job done. Conscientious and curious, open to new perspectives and even dreaded compromises to get to yes.
If we want to be well-rounded Renaissance Humans, we must be capable of embodying both these archetypes, when required by the context. That means getting out of your comfort zone— out in front, if you’re a Workhorse. If you’re a flashy Showhorse, get in there and do some of the backside legwork and coordination. When we get the Showhorse/Workhorse ratio right, great things happen.
Currere Certamen Tuum— Run Your Race
"New Meat” is Naval Special Warfare industry jargon for a new member of the Team.
A Breacher is a subject matter expert in methods of entry into a structure, to include lockpicks, sledgehammers, hoolies (crowbar type tools), shotguns with solid slugs to engage door hinges and locks, and many types of explosive charges. So many, many charges.
This is dated, pre-drone era comparison of mission sets. Nowadays, snipers are not as “eyes on,” although they still train to that standard.
Love the balance between being and doing - who needs a binary when you can do both?
Brilliance in the basics...
Really enjoyed !