Industry is the Enemy of Melancholy

I was fortunate to retire from my traditional work career at the relatively young age of 56. Retiring early had become a goal of mine ever since I observed how much my father enjoyed his 30 year post-work life. My father was perfectly content to leave the working life behind and fill up his days with fishing, tending his vegetable garden, solving the daily crossword puzzle, taking naps and watching the home town Sports teams on his television.

When the time came for me to retire, I had an idyllic vision of spending my days in similar fashion. Finally, after 56 years, I was looking forward to being my own boss – thrilled to have the opportunity to wake up every day and do whatever it was that interested me. I believed that every day would feel like Christmas!

And those first few months of retirement really were magical. Gone was the stress of having to be available 24/7 to my company’s sales and management teams who were battling to close million dollar deals, gone was the daily 3 to 4 hour commute in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and gone was the chronic sleep deficit.

It was goodbye to all that. What replaced it was the pleasure of deciding which book to read from my list of “books I always wanted to read“, fly fishing in the beautiful rivers of New England, taking long rides on my electric bike, spending quality time with my grandkids, and attending stimulating concerts and plays with my wife.

Something begin to happen, however, that I was not expecting about six months into my retirement. As the novelty and thrill of being retired began to subside I began to notice that I was experiencing melancholy moods and moments of soul searching. I was spending time reflecting on topics like past loss, the certainty of my physical and mental decline, and the uncertainty of how future generations will deal with the big existential challenges the world is facing.

Without the rigors of work to occupy my attention, my mind was set free to wander where it wanted to go and to my surprise I discovered that it often wanted to contemplate dark and doleful topics. I was not that concerned about these sometime melancholy moods because I reasoned that it is one of life’s natural reactions to harbor feelings of both happiness and sadness; and I remembered the wise old grandmother who once said: “A good day is a laugh and a cry“. Still I wondered why my pensive thoughts were increasing in frequency at a time in my life when I expected to be most content.

Then I happened to read about a study conducted by Harvard psychologists Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert which could help to explain the phenomenon I was experiencing. These researchers developed a smartphone app that allowed them to collect the thoughts, feelings, and actions of a broad range of people at random moments as they went about their daily activities.

Using the app, Killingsworth and Gilbert asked people what they were doing and how happy they were while doing it. They sifted through 25,000 responses from more than 5000 people and reported that 46% of the people were thinking about things other than what they were actually doing at the time (in other words, they were daydreaming about something other than what they were doing). They discovered that those people who were daydreaming typically were not happy; while those who were fully engaged in their activity were the happiest. 

The researchers wrote that unlike other animals, human beings spend a lot of time thinking about what is not going on around them, contemplating instead events that happened in the past, might happen in the future, or will never happen at all. This “stimulus-independent thought” or “mind wandering” appears to be the brain’s default mode of operation.

Although this ability is a remarkable evolutionary achievement that allows people to learn, reason, and plan, it apparently comes with an emotional cost. “We see evidence that a human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind,” they said in their report. The bottom line is that we’re more likely to think negative thoughts when we let our minds wander.

Maybe that is why people who are waiting in line or stuck in traffic appear to be more irritable. And maybe my melancholy moods have increased in frequency since leaving work simply because my mind is no longer required to spend 10+ hours a day focused on the demands of my job.

This study confirms that many philosophical and religious traditions are on to something true when they teach that happiness is to be found by living in the moment, and by training their practitioners to resist mind wandering and concentrate on the here and now. Yoga teachers and those teaching meditation practices usually stress the importance of “mindfulness” or “being present” for a good reason — because when we do, it usually puts us in a better mood.

When I look back at my work career, I can see now that those moments when I felt most fulfilled was when I was in the middle of product development activities, being part of a team inventing electronic test solutions to solve complex manufacturing challenges. During those moments all the powers of my mind were fully engaged in solving the problem at hand and there was a sense that the results of the team’s collective work would have a positive impact on the company, our customers, and to a certain extent, society in general.

William F. Buckley put his finger on the unique ability that meaningful work has in preventing the onset of depressive feelings when he wrote “Industry is the enemy of Melancholy“. Simply put, if we are busy doing work that requires a focused mind it becomes difficult for the mind to wander and contemplate spirit dampening topics that are likely to cause the blues.

I happened to listen to an online homily about work that touched on a similar theme from a spiritual point of view that was given by Bishop Robert Barron. Bishop Barron made the point that our very being is deeply influenced by our actions and that the kind of work we do has a lot to do with the kind of people we become.

People who have no work usually struggle with depression because our sense of dignity often comes from work. Those who suffer from unemployment feel not just the financial burden of a lost paycheck, but also the loss of dignity brought about from the loss of their livelihood.

When you are feeling down one of the things psychologists recommend is to get to work on a project. It tends to make you feel better because work engages the powers of mind, will, creativity, and imagination and we become awakened when we give ourselves over to a project.

It doesn’t have to be a grand or complicated project. In fact, Bishop Barron mentioned that he found that one of the things that brings him the most satisfaction is doing the dishes. His day is usually filled with meetings and intellectual activities, so it is a relief for him to do some simple physical work at the end of the day. It brings him satisfaction to make order out of a dirty kitchen and to see everything clean and in its place when he is done.

The Bishop referenced this lyric from Bob Dylan’s song “Forever Young” to emphasize that work is a blessing and that souls can not fully prosper when their hands and feet are idle.

“May your hands always be busy, may your feet always be swift, may you have a strong foundation when the winds of changes shift”

Bob Dylan; Forever Young

Not all work is physical, though. Pope John Paul II categorized different kinds of work for the faithful. There is physical work (the work of the body), intellectual work (the work of the mind), spiritual work (the feeding of one’s soul), and moral work (charitable work on behalf of the poor and mistreated). When we are attentive to each of these categories of work in our daily life, it is then that we best fulfill our divine potential and become collaborators with the purpose of God.

I like that idea. May we all come to see our work, in all its different manifestations, as collaborating with the purpose of God and as bringing us into a more perfect union with a higher power.

R.I.P. RBG

Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on September 18, 2020. Over the course of her 87 years the noted feminist and surprisingly unlikely popular cultural icon smashed glass ceilings and delivered plenty of wisdom—both inside and outside the courtroom.

On Bader-Ginsburg’s passing, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, issued this statement lauding her service to the nation and her important contributions to the country’s laws:

“Our nation has lost a jurist of historic stature and we at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her — a tireless and resolute champion of justice.”

Chief Justice John Roberts

Her life was filled with notable accomplishments which included graduating with the highest honors from Cornell University in 1954 and from Harvard and Colombia Law Schools at the top of her class.

She slowly worked her way up through the male-dominated law profession beginning with a clerking job in the United States District Court of Appeals in New York, followed by teaching jobs at Rutgers University School of Law and Columbia Law School – where she became the school’s first tenured female professor.

Her teaching and litigation in the 70’s on behalf of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project, drew national attention when the legal briefs she wrote led the Supreme Court to strike down laws that favored men over women.

When she was appointed to the United States Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993, she was only the second woman to sit on the bench in the court’s 212 year history. RBG quickly became known for her scholarly, balanced opinions and her forthright personal courage.

But it wasn’t all those legal accomplishments that made RBG so loved – it was her laser-focused attention to be a champion for all those who suffered from injustice and inequality.

She had the Old Testament words “Justice, justice, thou shalt pursue” prominently displayed on the wall of her chamber and it epitomized the mission she pursued throughout her career – to eliminate gender-based stereotyping in legislation and regulations.

Blessed are the peacemakers and RBG should be counted among them because justice and peace have always been inextricably linked. It was Dwight Eisenhower who remarked that “peace and justice are two sides of the same coin“; Martin Luther King who preached that “true peace cannot exist without justice“; and Pope Paul the 6th who advised his flock “If you want peace, work for Justice“.

RBG focused on removing injustice in all its forms and her work helped to codify the important gains won by the women’s and civil rights movements into the nation’s laws; thus bringing a measure of peace to millions of American citizens who had suffered under laws that were not fair.

A child in a Supergirl costume pays respects to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – Image courtesy of Reuters

One of the best ways to appreciate RBG is to examine her own words of wisdom about the topics that were near and dear to her:

ON HER MOTHER

“My mother told me two things constantly. One was to be a lady, and the other was to be independent. The study of law was unusual for women of my generation. For most girls growing up in the ’40s, the most important degree was not your B.A., but your M.R.S... My mother made reading a delight and counseled me constantly to be able to fend for myself, whatever fortune might have in store for me.“

ON HER HUSBAND

“I had a life partner who thought my work was as important as his, and I think that made all the difference for me.”

ON TURNING REJECTION INTO OPPORTUNITY

“You think about what would have happened… Suppose I had gotten a job as a permanent associate. Probably I would have climbed up the ladder and today I would be a retired partner. So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great good fortune.”

ON FEMALE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

“When I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the supreme court]? I say ‘When there are nine.’ People are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.“

ON WRITING DISSENTING OPINIONS

“Dissents speak to a future age. It’s not simply to say, ‘my colleagues are wrong and I would do it this way,’ but the greatest dissents do become court opinions... [you have to} fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.“

ON CRITICISM AND NOT GETTING A MAJORITY VOTE

“I’m dejected, but only momentarily, when I can’t get the fifth vote for something I think is very important. But then you go on to the next challenge and you give it your all. You know that these important issues are not going to go away. They are going to come back again and again. There’ll be another time, another day. Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.“

ON HAVING IT ALL

“You can’t have it all, all at once. Who—man or woman—has it all, all at once? Over my lifespan I think I have had it all. But in different periods of time things were rough. And if you have a caring life partner, you help the other person when that person needs it.”

ON DISCRIMINATION

“I try to teach through my opinions, through my speeches, how wrong it is to judge people on the basis of what they look like, color of their skin, whether they’re men or women... Our daughters and sons should be free to achieve whatever their talents equip them to accomplish, with no artificial barriers blocking their way.”

ON GENDER EQUALITY

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception… A gender line helps to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage.”

ON FEMINISM

“Feminism… I think the simplest explanation, and one that captures the idea, is a song that Marlo Thomas sang, ‘Free to be You and Me.’ Free to be, if you were a girl—doctor, lawyer, Indian chief. Anything you want to be. And if you’re a boy, and you like teaching, you like nursing, you would like to have a doll, that’s OK too. That notion that we should each be free to develop our own talents, whatever they may be, and not be held back by artificial barriers—manmade barriers, certainly not heaven sent.“

ON HER FELLOW SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

“We care about this institution more than our individual egos and we are all devoted to keeping the Supreme Court in the place that it is, as a co-equal third branch of government and I think a model for the world in the collegiality and independence of judges.“

ON THE 5-4 HOBBY LOBBY RULING

“Justices continue to think and can change. I am ever hopeful that if the court has a blind spot today, its eyes will be open tomorrow.”

ON BEING GIVEN THE NICKNAME THE NOTORIOUS RBG

“I think a law clerk told me about this Tumblr and also explained to me what Notorious RBG was a parody on. And now my grandchildren love it and I try to keep abreast of the latest that’s on the tumblr. … In fact I think I gave you a Notorious RBG T-shirt. I have quite a large supply.“

ON BEING AN INTERNET SENSATION

“My grandchildren love it. At my advanced age—I’m now an octogenarian—I’m constantly amazed by the number of people who want to take my picture.“

ON HER PLACE IN HISTORY

“How fortunate I was to be alive and a lawyer when, for the first time in United States history, it became possible to urge, successfully, before legislatures and courts, the equal-citizenship stature of women and men as a fundamental constitutional principle. Feminists, caring men among them, had sought just that for generations. Until the late 1960s, however, society was not prepared to heed their plea.“

ON HOW SHE’D LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED

“Someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability. And to help repair tears in her society, to make things a little better through the use of whatever ability she has. To do something, as my colleague David Souter would say, outside myself. Cause I’ve gotten much more satisfaction for the things that I’ve done for which I was not paid.“

As Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s body arrived in Washington for the high honor of being the only woman in the history of the United States to lie in state in the nation’s Capitol building – the Rabbi Lauren Holzbatt paid tribute to the woman who miraculously overcame all the odds to become a modern day prophet for the soul of the American nation:

‘To be born into the world that does not see you, that does not believe in your potential, that does not give you a path for opportunity, or a clear path for education and despite this, to be able to see beyond the world you are in, to imagine that something can be different. That is the job of a prophet. And it is the rare prophet who not only imagines a new world, but also makes that new world a reality in her lifetime. This was the brilliance and vision of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,’ she said.

Rabbi Lauren Holtz Tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Rest in Peace RBG. A grateful nation thanks you for a job well done.

“Some people are more formed for dividing than uniting”

In the novel Valiant Ambition, historian Nathaniel Philbrick describes the key roles Benedict Arnold played in the outcome of the American Revolution, first as a patriot and then as a traitor.

Benedict Arnold’s contributions as a war hero, beloved by the nation, came during the early years of the Revolution. At the Battle of Valcour he used cunning strategy to battle the British fleet to a stalemate on Lake Champlain – even though he was commanding a much smaller and less capable US fleet.

Benedict Arnold

After that he was instrumental in helping the Americans capture Fort Ticonderoga from the British and then he rallied the Continental Army soldiers to a victory at the Battle of Saratoga – where he suffered a debilitating leg wound that hobbled him for the rest of his life.

By all accounts the fighting men who served under General Arnold showed great respect for his bravery, decisiveness and leadership skills – and George Washington himself considered Arnold one of his most effective military commandeers.

Benedict Arnold’s early victories in the Revolutionary War were important for three reasons: 1) they emboldened the new American colonies to believe that they could actually defeat the mighty British; 2) they encouraged Colonists who were on the fence about the war effort to choose the side of independence; and 3) they legitimized the American cause in the eyes of the world giving France the justification they were looking for to declare themselves an ally in the fight against the British.

After the Battle of Saratoga, George Washington assigned Benedict Arnold to the post of military overseer of Philadelphia so that he could recover from the injury suffered to his leg. Arnold felt that he had sacrificed much of his financial and physical well-being in service of his country and believed that he was entitled to take advantage of the power that came with his new commission to profit illegally from the many wartime deals that were being made in the city.

While serving in Philadelphia, Benedict Arnold also fell in love with the 18 year old daughter of a wealthy loyalist family and he was looking for schemes to make money so that he could convince her influential father that he was a worthy suitor. During this time of recuperation Arnold began to become bitter and disillusioned with the leaders responsible for the war effort as well as the lack of support from the American colonists.

He saw that the volunteer army was woefully understaffed and underfunded and that the Continental Congress was at the mercy of the States to supply Federal wartime needs. The Congress had no power to levy taxes and they would wage political battles with the States to try to convince them to provide the military with the recruits, arms, uniforms and food that were necessary to fight and win the war.

George Washington had to travel to Philadelphia more than once during the war to plead with Congress about the woeful condition of his army and to warn them about the immediate need for supplies that were necessary to continue the war cause. After one of these visits, Washington wrote to a friend:

“The greatest enemy to overcome is ourselves. Party disputes and personal quarrels are the great business of the day, whilst the momentous concerns of an empire are but secondary considerations and postponed from day to day, from week to week as if our affairs wore the most promising aspect”

Arnold saw all this and felt that while the states professed they wanted Independence, they were unwilling to pay for it or make any great sacrifices to achieve it. He began to think that if the States were not committed to supplying the army with the resources they needed to ultimately win the war then maybe it would be best for America to lose and remain a British colony.

Joseph Reed was President of Philadelphia’s Supreme Executive Council during Arnold’s time and he did not like Benjamin Arnold or the way that he was administering the city. In his position he had broad powers to investigate and prosecute individuals. He began a tireless crusade against Benedict Arnold that resulted in his indictment on corruption and malfeasance charges.

The harassment from Joseph Reed further alienated Benedict Arnold from the American cause and made him angry as he saw himself being passed over for promotion and saw others getting credit for his actions. Instead he was made to defend himself against the corruption charges at a Court Martial trial that was presided over by George Washington himself.

Prior to the scheduled Court Martial hearing, Benedict Arnold wrote a letter to Washington complaining about the ingratitude of his countrymen and warning George Washington that he could suffer a similar fate if he was not careful:

“I am heartily tired with my journey and almost so with human nature. I daily discover so much baseness and ingratitude among mankind that I almost blush at being the same species, and could quit the stage without regret was it not for some gentle generous souls in my life who still retain the lively impression of their Maker’s image, and who with smiles of benignity and goodness, make all happy around them”

 “Let me beg of you sir to consider that a set of artful unprincipled men in office may misinterpret the most innocent actions and by raising the public clamor against your Excellency place you in the same disagreeable position I am in. Having made every sacrifice of fortune and blood, and become a cripple in the service of my country, I little expected to receive the ungrateful returns I have received of my countrymen, but as Congress have stamped ingratitude as a a current coin I must take it. I wish your Excellency for your long and eminent services may not be paid of in the same coin”

Ultimately, Arnold was acquitted during the Court Martial proceedings; not because he was innocent but because there was not enough evidence to convict him on the charges. However, the experience hardened Arnold and it reinforced in his mind that the best course of action for him and the American people was to side with the British.

After being exonerated, General Washington assigned Benedict Arnold to be the commandeer in charge of the West Point fortresses on the Hudson River. It was there that Arnold began conspiring with British Major John Andre (a close friend of his new wife) on a plan to have the fortresses turned over to the enemy.

Andre and Arnold met secretly on the grounds of West Point, where Arnold delivered the blueprints for the fort’s defenses and discussed the timing and strategy for the British attack plan that would lead to the American surrender of the key fortress.

The plan may have been a success had it not been for the capture of John Andre by the Americans as he attempted to travel back to British occupied New York City. They discovered the maps to the West Point forts that were hidden in his boots which led to the revelation of Benedict Arnold’s treason against his country.

When Benedict Arnold learned that Andre had been captured he escaped in his boat down the Hudson River where he was given sanctuary on a British ship of war. George Washington wrote to the British General requesting that the British turn over Benedict Arnold in exchange for the release of Major Andre. When the British refused his offer to exchange prisoners, Washington had Major Andre hung as a spy.

Benedict Arnold went on to serve as a General in the British army and to settle with his family in London after the war. His name was despised in his home country – and even though he deserted the cause for independence to help the British, he was ultimately perceived as a dishonorable man by the British populace as well.

The irony is that Benedict Arnold’s traitorous actions shocked the young American nation and united them in a way that made them stronger and more committed to overcoming the petty political infighting between the Continental Congress and the states that had been hampering the war effort. Benedict Arnold helped to win the war for independence both with his early military victories before he defected and with his final acts as a traitor.

In the book it was noted that when speaking about the temperament of Joseph Reed and Benedict Arnold one of the members of the Continental Congress said “Some people are formed more for dividing than uniting”. I wonder if the fate of Benedict Arnold, and of this country, would have been different if Joseph Reed and Benedict Arnold had been formed with temperaments more formed for uniting. I believe there is a lesson in this story for all Americans today during this time of change where we will decide whether or not we are going to be a country that unites or divides.