Bloom Where You're Planted

Bist Du Anvil Sei Geduldig, Bist Du Hamer Schlage Drauf

If You are an Anvil, Be Patient; If You are a Hammer, Hit

The above Gothic proverb is realistic advice given.  It is useful for people of all walks of life.  If you are a worker in a plant you have to follow the edicts, the rules of the bosses, the directives; if you are a waitress you must serve what the consumer orders; if you are wealthy you can buy what you want according to your desires;, if you are poor person you must “count your pennies” and still your hunger and choose the bare necessities.   

A successful politician knows what is needed, knows how to attract the people, what the circumstances are at a particular time frame, who his constituents are, where to deliver his speeches, what to emphasize, and much more.  Absolute reality is not the answer, it is the needs and the desires of the majority and the voters of a particular area that are important.  He must know what the voters want to hear, what is important to them, and how the particular population can relate to the potential candidate.

The same is also true of salesmen and their wares, as well as their skills to enable them to sell their particular merchandise or products.  Their special skill is in selling their idea, their “thing.”  That which the politician and the salesman “sell” is not necessarily what the voter or the consumer or customer receives ultimately.  The belief in the person, be it a salesperson or a politician, is very important.

The politician has to have some of the traits of a hypnotist, an enabler, who can persuade the masses to be in a trance, a conviction that the speaker, the persuader, will do and succeed in producing what he alleges.  The hypnotist can create situations in which the “subject” willingly and without refusal enters the trance that he is directed to do.  He may go into a deep sleep, dance a jig, become a barker, or follow directions that he would not ordinarily do.

As people, as ordinary human beings, we must be aware of situations: who we are, how persuasive we can be, are we in a position to be a successful politician, are we a leader or a follower, do we have the means to be a politician, are we easily believed or otherwise, and much more.  Have we usually been a follower or have we had the personality to be listened to, to be believed, to be a leader?  From childhood on, have other children befriended us, or have we been the lonely ones or the ridiculed ones? 

As adults, as voters, as people, we must remember our age, our history, the times and situations in which we live at a particular place. We must examine ourselves, our history, our circumstances, whether we are an anvil or a hammer.  If you are an anvil be patient, if you are the boss, you are in charge!

 Lehitraot.

 Dr. Ursula A. Falk is a psychotherapist in private practice and the author of several books and articles.

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