Chapter 8
‘Instructor’s Name’
‘Subject’
Martin Luther King in his ‘volume of sermons’, expresses the need to have a synthesis of opposites in our life. In the chapter titled ‘A Tough mind and Tender Heart’, he says how Jesus preached his disciples to be, as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove. Through these words King asks his followers, to develop a tough mind and a tender heart. He says a man should have a tough mind, which would discern truth from false, and cleanse itself from prejudices and superstitions.
He adds how soft-minded people are prone to fear change, and are gullible to false propaganda. He also explicates, how soft-minded people think that, science is the enemy of religion, and further explains that while the function of science is to investigate, the duty of religion is to interpret. Whilst science gives knowledge, religion gives wisdom, and hence they both complement each other.
King explains his arguments in the context of segregation that was practiced during his era. He explains how soft-minded people believe White race to be superior to the Black race, and how tough-minded anthropologists have proven these notions to be untrue. He further adds that, a civilization which fails to produce tough minded individuals signs its own death warrant.
King also cautions that, tough-mindedness should not be produced at the cost of a tender heart. He stresses that a person who does not have a tender heart, is not capable of feeling compassion for his fellow human beings. A cold-hearted person evaluates each individual according to his usefulness, and he cannot appreciate the beauty and friendship of his companions. In essence, to have a tough mind without a tender heart is, according to King, to become selfish and mean.
He then eloquently applies the points discussed by him, to the fight against segregation fought by the Blacks of his era. He says to accept the segregation soft-mindedly is cowardice. He elucidates that, not voicing against oppression is equal to being a part of that evil. At the same time, he says that the Blacks should not be cold hearted to resort to violence to fight against oppression.
Thus, King delineates that non-violent resistance is the only way ahead for Blacks to fight against racial prejudice. This method, according to him, combines both tough-mindedness and soft-heartedness. He finishes his sermon, by stating how God has two hands – one which is strong and tough which surrounds us with justice, and one which is tender which embraces us with love.
Like our maker, it is of utmost importance for us to nurture a strong mind, and propel it using a tender heart. Cooper, in the chapter titled ‘Safeguarding Ethical Autonomy in Organizations’, talks about how an employee should be tough minded when dealing with an unethical superior, and tender-hearted while evaluating his values and priorities.
A perfect example for the concept advocated by King is, the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute, performed by Black American Athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos. During the medal ceremony of the men's 200 meters event at the 1968 Summer Olympics, the winner Smith and the second runner up Carlos, both raised their black gloved fist, when the American national anthem was played. It was their way of showing, solidarity with the fight against racial prejudice in America and the apartheid policies of South Africa and Rhodesia.
Here are two athletes who had the tough mind, to battle through many hardships like poverty, disease and racism, to rise to glory, and had the tender heart to stand up for the oppressed people. They received their medals without wearing shoes to denote the black poverty, and Smith had a black scarf tied around his neck to denote black pride.
When they left the podium, they were booed by the crowd, and International Olympic Committee banned them from the Olympic village. The athletes showed how tough they were by standing up for what they thought was right, risking a black mark in their career. They had attained glory, and were hailed as heroes by their countrymen when they won the event. However, they chose not to bask in the glory, and voiced against the oppression inflicted on the Blacks throughout the world. Their actions, thus espouses both a tender heart filled with compassion for humanity, and a tough mind that stands up for what is right.
