I once had a neighbor who was an artist when it came to splitting and stacking cordwood. His cord stacks were precisely 4-by-4-by-8 feet — not one piece of wood breaking the plane. His most remarkable feat was his seeming effortless splitting of the logs. Most people used a long-handled heavy splitting maul and a forceful swing. My neighbor used a hatchet. He explained that brute force was not necessary. A reading of the grain of the wood, an accurate swing and a deft twist of the wrist would do the job.
And, so it is with the state of our country. There are those who use brute force to have their way and there are those who serve their community by relying upon knowledge, understanding and reflection. New York Times opinion columnist David Brooks wrote in an op-ed that a segment of the population, including the current administration, imagines a division in the country “between the warriors and the weenies. The warriors see themselves as the strong ones, the men and women of steel, the masters of aggression … There’s a hint of the wild animal to them: no rules, no limits, just the law of the jungle.”
People who choose to refrain from relying on the brute force of the warrior, may choose instead, the path of wisdom. Psychology Today explains, “Wisdom largely emerges from reflection on past experience. Wise people incorporate past observations and opinions into a more nuanced style of thinking—considering multiple perspectives rather than black and white options. Being open to new ways of thinking, essentially challenging the status quo, can be a hallmark of wisdom and help to cultivate it.”
The decision we the people must make is to stand with the warrior or reach for wisdom. Many of the nation’s political leaders frame their relationships, commitments and loyalty as warriors advocating and defending “the right way.”
The effort is to gain as much power as possible to force others to either join them or become adversaries. There are many examples. Shayla Love writes in the Fall 2025 issue of ACLU magazine, “Most of the Trump administration’s worst assaults on civil rights … are happening in schools nationwide.” The Monitor reports that Cornell University has paid $60 million in order to receive over $100 million in government grants. The university also agreed to comply with the government’s interpretation of civil rights and its position on DEI. There are many accounts in the news about ICE using excessive force, and abusive prison conditions.
Warriors use the power of money and job insecurity to get their way in the public square. Also, extremist groups have chosen the warrior ethos, using hate language and wielding weapons.
Our country is in need of more attention to wisdom in politics and in social discourse. Psychology Today describes wisdom as encompassing knowledge and experience and the ability to examine situations and oneself, including benevolence and compassion. “Wisdom is also connected to abilities such as perspective-taking, open-mindedness, and intellectual humility,” Psychology Today writes. Some people are more adept at gaining wisdom than others. They are the ones to call upon and elect as leaders for a representative democracy. Leading with wisdom results in many fewer casualties than a warrior approach where jobs are threatened, education is politicized, LGBTQ+ people are characterized as a threat and immigrants depicted as dangerous.
Leading with wisdom makes room for all citizens to contribute to the building of a free and just society. Wisdom takes the bluster and bullying out of relationships. Wisdom takes strength of body, mind and spirit: like the wisdom of my cordwood-stacking neighbor who gets the job done with a light touch, a keen awareness, an eye for the best way forward and a commitment to keep the home fires burning throughout the winter months. To our political leaders we say, “Won’t you be our neighbors?”
John Buttrick writes from his Vermont Folk Rocker in his Concord home, Minds
Crossing. He can be reached at johndbuttrick@gmail.com.