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  • A Thinker’s Refresher: March 21

    A Thinker’s Refresher: March 21

    By: @thecontraire.bsky.social / A Road Back: In Exile and Out of Exile

    💡 Appreciation for Thought & Script

    “Persuade me or prove to me that I am mistaken in thought or deed and I will gladly change—for it is the truth I seek, and the truth never harmed anyone. Harm comes from persisting in error and clinging to ignorance.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

    💐 Appreciation for the Art & Expression

    JAY-Z – Smile ft. Gloria Carter

    🗿 Appreciation for Forgotten Heroes & Underrated Historical Cornerstones

    Background

    ​In Doris Kearns Goodwin‘s Leadership: In Turbulent Times, she explores how four U.S. presidents—Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson—transformed personal adversities into catalysts for remarkable leadership.

    Abraham Lincoln

    Rising from humble beginnings, Lincoln faced personal and political challenges, including profound depression. His resilience and empathy were instrumental in guiding the nation through the Civil War and abolishing slavery.

    “I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth. Whether I shall ever be better I can not tell; I awfully forebode I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible; I must die or be better, it appears to me.” —Abraham Lincoln

    Theodore Roosevelt

    After personal tragedies, including the loss of his wife and mother on the same day, Roosevelt sought solace in the Badlands. This period of reflection strengthened his resolve, leading to progressive reforms and a focus on conservation during his presidency.

    “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” —Theodore Roosevelt

    Franklin D. Roosevelt

    Stricken with polio, FDR confronted the possibility of permanent paralysis. His battle with the disease deepened his empathy and determination, qualities that defined his leadership during the Great Depression and World War II.

    “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” —Franklin D. Roosevelt

    Lyndon B. Johnson

    After a severe heart attack and political setbacks, Johnson reassessed his ambitions. His renewed focus led to significant legislative achievements, including the Civil Rights Act and the Great Society programs, aiming to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.

    “The noblest search is the search for excellence.” —Lyndon B. Johnson

    Enjoy this post? See the last one here: A Thinker’s Refresher: March 16

    Or, read how The Contraire started…

  • A Thinker’s Refresher: March 16

    A Thinker’s Refresher: March 16

    By: @thecontraire.bsky.social / A Road Back: In Exile and Out of Exile

    💡 Appreciation for Thought & Script

    “When you’re a child, you’re the center of everything. Everything happens for you. Other people? They’re only ghosts, furnished for you to talk to. But when you grow up, you take your place; and your own size and shape. Things go out of you to others and come in from other people. It’s worse; but it’s much better too.” — John Steinbeck, East of Eden

    💐 Appreciation for the Art & Expression

    Brother Ali – Self Taught

    🗿 Appreciation for Forgotten Heroes & Underrated Historical Cornerstones

    Background

    Earlier this week, I received an email from a relative. As part of the Trump Administration’s assault on DEI and wokeness, the Army website had taken down an article about the history of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Shortly after public outcry, the article appears to have been republished to a different military website, just yesterday (March 15, 2025).

    Article Summary

    The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was the most decorated unit of its size in U.S. military history, with approximately 14,000 Nisei (American-born sons of Japanese immigrants) serving and earning 9,486 Purple Hearts, 21 Medals of Honor, and eight Presidential Unit Citations. Activated in 1943, the unit consisted mostly of volunteers from Hawaii and mainland Japanese internment camps, despite facing discrimination at home.

    Nicknamed “Go for Broke,” the 442nd trained at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, and deployed to Europe in 1944. They fought in Italy, joining the 100th Infantry Battalion, and later participated in the invasion of Southern France. In the Vosges Mountains, they liberated towns and famously rescued the “Lost Battalion” of the 36th Infantry Division. Their heroic efforts earned multiple unit citations.

    In 1945, the 442nd helped drive German forces out of Northern Italy, fighting alongside the all-African American 92nd Infantry Division. Pfc. Sadao Munemori received a posthumous Medal of Honor for his bravery. After the war, the 442nd was deactivated in 1946, but its legacy endures through the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry (Army Reserve), preserving its remarkable history of valor and sacrifice.

    Go to full article: https://www.army.mil/article/283793

    Visit the Sons & Daughters of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team Website

  • “Review A Eulogy For Me?”

    “Review A Eulogy For Me?”

    By: @thecontraire.bsky.social / A Road Back: In Exile and Out of Exile

    A thought sometimes occupies my mind…

    “No matter what beliefs one holds (or doesn’t hold)—I’d wager nearly any human might accept an invitation to spectate their own funeral; if given the chance, and assuming they had lived a life they were proud of. Wouldn’t the curiosity be too strong to deny?”

    “In uncertainty, I am certain that underneath their top most layers of frailty, men want to be good and want to be loved. Indeed, most of their vices are attempted shortcuts to love. When a man comes to die—no matter what his talents and influence and genius—if he dies unloved, his life must be a failure to him, and his dying, a cold horror.” —Bertrand Russel, The Conquest of Happiness

    In the case of a funeral, a person is often glorified, maybe with praise unparalleled to anything ever uttered to their face—and, to a room filled with their closest loved ones and relations, nonetheless.

    Moreover, who would dare say anything bad about someone at their funeral, after all?

    It sounds like it would be the ultimate ego boost, doesn’t it?

    So, my question is… in a modern era where so many people are struggling with depression, loneliness, low self-esteem, and reduced community connection—what is the purpose of withholding praise to anyone? Is it a fear of inflating egos? Or something deeper?

    I’m asking because I don’t have an answer. This is as far as my reasoning has taken me.

    “I think there is much to be said for bringing up a boy to think himself a fine fellow. I do not believe that any peacock envies another peacock his tail, because every peacock is persuaded that his own tail is the finest in the world. The consequence of this is that peacocks are peaceable birds. Imagine how unhappy the life of a peacock would be if it had been taught that it is wicked to have a good opinion of oneself.” —Bertrand Russel, The Conquest of Happiness

    I think we often make it more difficult than it has to be, but, both based on personal experience and what I’ve studied, I believe people tend to be more jovial and engaged when they are allowed to be themselves and operate in Their Element.

    #NowPlayingyoutu.be/17fbxRQgMlU?…

    — Derek S (@thecontraire.bsky.social) 2025-03-24T14:53:02.473Z

    “Steve Jobs was sacked from Apple…
    Oprah Winfrey was demoted as a news anchor because they said she wasn’t fit for television…
    Michael Jordan was dropped from the high school basketball team…
    Walt Disney was sacked from his newspaper job because they said he lacked imagination…
    Winston Churchill was nearly thrown out of school because his English results were nearly so bad—he went on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature…”
    —attributed to Sir Ken Robinson

    People are more likely to fall into depression when they are forced into a box and or made to do things in a way that doesn’t fit a unique inner voice or their natural talents.

    How many more days will you keep deferring *that thing* you really want to do?You shouldn't wait for something traumatic to happen for the wakeup call.Time does not go backward and you can't unwind the clock.Do it. Go now. Don't wait!#photography #nature #travel #publiclands #sunset #sunsets

    — Eric Kufrin (@mountainscalling.me) 2025-03-21T15:01:15.730Z

    What if we didn’t wait until someone’s funeral to tell them how much they mattered? How much difference could that make in a life today?

    I don’t have any solutions, yet! Just the observation, for now.

    I’ll soon be launching two new sections on TheContraire.com to explore these ideas further—through curated tributes and reflections on civil disobedience. I hope they can serve as a small step toward deeper connection and community.

    Thanks for reading!

    “To be out of harmony with one’s surroundings is, of course, a misfortune—but not always one to be avoided at all costs. Where the environment is stupid, prejudiced, or cruel, it is a mark of merit to be out of harmony with it. And to some degree, these traits exist in almost every environment.”
    —Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness