Yesterday is gone and there is no getting it back. True! Yet there are concepts from the past that are helpful in clarifying how we should think about the present and the future.
Years ago, portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln hung in every school classroom. They were black and white reproductions that every child saw daily, often without a second thought. However, these two Presidents served as role models for generations of children. We grew up with stories of the Father of our Country and Honest Abe.
Would we hang a likeness of our current President to serve as a role model for children today and tomorrow? This is not a partisan question. It is a question of character and if his character is a model for our children.
What do we know?
Role modeling is real. Psychologists explain why we try to mirror the behaviors, speech, and values of famous people.
Social Learning theory tells us that people learn not just through direct experience, but through vicarious reinforcement. When we see a famous person gaining status, wealth, or praise for the specific way they act or what they say or the values they hold, we are more likely to model that behavior and hold those behaviors in hopes that we may also gain.
A second way we are influenced by others is a “halo effect.” When we see a person who “has it all,” we place a halo on that person thinking they are experts in everything.
And a third way we consider famous people is through a “friend effect.” Many people hallucinate a friendship with a famous person telling others false stories about their “friend.”
What should we think about what we know?
When I was a child long ago, parents and teachers told us about George Washington, Father of our Country. Most of what they told us was fact. He was a soldier. He was a wealthy Virginia planter. He was esteemed by his countrymen for keeping the Continental army together through six years of war. He was elected our first President, served two terms, and retired from public office saying the presidency is not a kingship with a forever reign.
Parallel to those truths were stories that sounded right but were not based on fact. Let us call them Washington Myths. Myths can be just as powerful as facts. And it is surprising how long myths stick around.
Myth – George Washington cannot tell a lie. Parson Weems wrote The Life of Washington in 1800 and included several made-up stories. Most memorable was that George cut down one of his father’s favorite cherry trees and when confronted by his father, George said, “I did it, Father. I cannot tell a lie.”
When asked what they know of George Washington, after naming him as our first President, school children said with confidence – He could not tell a lie.
Abraham Lincoln was known as “Honest Abe.” His nickname was no myth.
Truth – When running a general store in New Salem, IL, Lincoln once unknowingly over charged a person six cents. When he saw the error the next day, he walked several miles after the store closed to return the six cents.
Truth – As a lawyer, he would not represent a dishonest client. He said, “I cannot take your case. I am afraid I would be thinking about how much I would be lying the whole time I was talking to the jury.”
Truth – In 1833 a store he owned failed leaving him a debt of $1,000 to his creditors. Instead of filing for bankruptcy, he spent 14 years paying back the creditors.
Through myth and fact, Washington and Lincoln served and still serve as valuable role models for children.
Can our current leader serve as a credible role model for children?
The Washington Post documented 30,573 false or misleading claims by Donald Trump in his first presidential term. An average of 21 per day. Analysis of his tweets showed that President Trump intends to lie. He said, “As long as you keep repeating something, it doesn’t matter what you say.” Use of the “big lie” applies the illusory truth effect. The bigger and bolder the lie, the more likelihood that people will believe it. A very totalitarian tactic.
To recount his lies would make this writing sound partisan. It is not.
The Big Duh!
Role models matter. Even though President Trump hangs his name and face on public edifices, we should not hang his portrait in our classrooms for children to consider as their role model. Stick with Washington and Lincoln and the hope that positive character traits from yesterday will re-emerge in our future national leaders.