Collective Potential

I'm currently reading a fantastic book called "Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues that will Heal Our Hearts and Homes" by Gordon B. Hinckley. It has given me a lot to think about. In the chapter "Making a Case for Morality" he talks about how we can make a difference in our overall society by the individual choices we make. Says Hinckley "It all begins with our own personal choice. Reformation of the world begins with reformation of self."

As I was pondering this, wondering how well I'm doing at living a moral life and what I can do to further reform myself, I had a few interesting thoughts. First, I thought about how we influence each other and how grateful I am for the good people in my life who both set a good example and make it easy for me to maintain my standards. Then I had this thought: we can not collectively be what we individually are not. However, a few minutes, or maybe even only seconds, of thought made me realize this is not true, and I am so grateful that it is not true.

Perhaps a movie reference can help me illustrate this point. Remember the Titans is one of my favorite movies. It tells the story of a football team at a high school in Virginia the first year the school integrated blacks and whites. There is tension within the team, the coaching staff, the school, and the community. Coach Boone is a tough coach who expects a lot from the boys on the team. He demands that they do their best, he pushes them to get past their animosity towards each other and work together. He tells the team: "We will be perfect in every aspect of the game. You drop a pass, you run a mile. You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile. You fumble the football, and I will break my foot off in your John Brown hind parts and then you will run a mile. Perfection. Let's go to work."

One night during their pre-season camp things come together, they start acting like a team. Despite the great challenges from within and without the team triumphantly enters the state championship game undefeated. They are up against a very good team, and at half time they are having a rough time. Coach Boone tells the team: "It's all right. We're in a fight. You boys are doing all that you can do. Anybody can see that. Win or lose... We gonna walk out of this stadium tonight with our heads held high. Do your best. That's all anybody can ask for." To which Julius Campbell, one of the players, replies: "No, it ain't Coach. With all due respect, uh, you demanded more of us. You demanded perfection. Now, I ain't saying that I'm perfect, 'cause I'm not. And I ain't gonna never be. None of us are. But we have won every single game we have played till now. So this team is perfect. We stepped out on that field that way tonight. And, uh, if it's all the same to you, Coach Boone, that's how we want to leave it." And they do, the perfect season, 16-0.

Remembering that scene made me realize that collectively we can be so much more than we can be individually. And, if we learn how to depend on one another, how to develop our own strengths and know when to lean on the strengths of others we can do amazing things. We can collectively be what we individually are incapable of being, and do things together that would never be possible on our own.