Geothe always reminds me of Mr. Heyder-- back in the Waldorf School of Princeton, we used to mock the fact he used to quote the German poet and philosopher all the time, it seemed, and how he pronounced the name-- long and stretched and slow-- goooooooooooooooethe... but going back retrospectively to revisit some of these poems, I've found so much wisdom in them, even in translation. This particular poem is one that we wrote into our main lesson books during some block in 8th grade, I think. at the time, I definitely didn't "get it"; I'm still not convinced even now, with both a BA and an MA in English-related fields under my belt, that I ever "get" poetry, but all I know about this poem is that it's resonating with me now-- and I intend to take it into this year; we're reading it at the start of each of our faculty meetings this year! I think it applies to teachers and our craft particularly well, but really, it is equally apt for anyone and I hope that all of you find something in it to take with you into whatever new adventure on which you are embarking, into whatever change you are making...
I have come to the frightening conclusion
that I am the decisive element.
It is my personal approach
that creates the climate.
It is my daily mood
that makes the weather.
I possess tremendous power
to make life miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of torture
or an instrument of inspiration;
I can humiliate or humor,
hurt or heal.
In all situations,
it is my response that decides
whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated,
and a person is humanized or de-humanized.
If we treat people as they are
we make them worse.
If we treat people as they ought to be,
we help them become
what they are capable of becoming.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832
Each of us is powerful [our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond belief]. &
With great power comes great responsibility.
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