THE INDISPENSABLE MAN

Sometime ago I came across an interesting poem entitled “The Indispensable Man”. It was written and published in 1959 by the award winning poet and author, Saxon Nadine White Kessinger, of Idaho, who recently died at age 88years. Its impact on me was profound and lasting. In a simple, precise and very effective manner she presented a very convincing argument against thinking anyone is indispensable, and laid to rest the very popular and universally held notion that some of us are irreplaceable and that what we do, or say or think will have a lasting and indelible effect on this world and on the people who inhabit it.

There is a natural tendency for us to think that we are indispensable and to believe that without us, life will not be the same. To some extent this might well be true, especially in regards to our intimate world and our friends and family. It could be argued that it serves the very important role of providing an impetus for our self-growth and our ego, and a sense of comfort and security in living and planning. It is considered to be the most important force in the initiation and continuation of any drive or ambition we possess, and in providing a meaning for living. It is only when individuals begin to think they are indispensable, that they develop a compulsive and determined temperament to achieve, because they believe that their action will have impact on others. Her poem listed below, however left no doubt that our actions, however impressive, leave little long term impact.

The world’s history books are filled with accounts of people whose lives and actions have made them feel, or cause others to believe, that they were “indispensable”. Throughout the ages most, if not all, the great leaders have at some time or other felt that they were indispensable, and that their people will suffer without them. But the real truth is that despite all of the power or achievements they amassed in life, they become a memory and a reference after death. Inevitably life continues, others take over, and in time much of the work achieved is undone and replaced or modified. Charles De Gaulle, the great French General, Statesman, Founder and President of the Fifth French Republic, credited for leading the French resistance against the German forces during the 2nd World War, was precise and accurate when he replied, in response to being described as being indispensable to the nation:

"The cemeteries of the world are full of indispensable men."

In every generation, in every community and every country throughout the world, men and women have appeared and have achieved such outstanding results as to earn them the label of indispensability. These special and unique people, by virtue of their strong personality, magnetic force, deep commitment or inner charisma are able to motivate and impress others to do and to achieve levels far above their expectation. George Washington, the founding father of the American Republic, Abraham Lincoln, the architect of the modern United States and Martin Luther King Jr., the great civil rights leader, are examples of great leaders whose actions earned the status of indispensability. Each one of these people earned the reputation by the strength of their commitment to the cause, their leadership performance and the reaction of the people they served. They certainly deserve the respect and approval for their effort in making their world a better place during their lifetime. But these people have all moved on and the work they started has continued on without them, proving that while they may not be forgotten, they are certainly not indispensable.

In her poem the author however makes the case that we devote our efforts to doing the best we can without trying to prove that we are indispensable. By doing this we succeed in developing a healthy, balanced sense of ourselves without any need to impress anyone. As I see it, this is a more realistic and reasonable approach and one which should be used more often. Doing what you do to the best of your ability will not only benefit others but ensures your own personal satisfaction, without concern to its long term survival.

In this respect, I can do no better than to repeat the excellent advice of St. Paul to the Romans contained in his letter to them (Romans 12:3):

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you,
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;
but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

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THE INDISPENSIBLE MAN

Sometime when you’re feeling important;

Sometime when your ego’s in bloom

Sometime when you take it for granted

You’re the best qualified in the room,

Sometime when you feel that your going

Would leave an unfillable hole,

Just follow these simple instructions

And see how they humble your soul;

Take a bucket and fill it with water,

Put your hand in it up to the wrist,

Pull it out and the hole that’s remaining

Is a measure of how you’ll be missed.

You can splash all you wish when you enter,

You may stir up the water galore,

But stop and you’ll find that in no time

It looks quite the same as before.

The moral of this quaint example

Is do just the best that you can,

Be proud of yourself but remember,

There’s no indispensable man.

…… Saxon Nadine white Kessinger, (1959)