The Ideas Matter More Than The Author
Reading Works of God and a Nazi
Before bed one night, I was reading a book from 1930 called Glimpses of the Great. It featured interviews with impressive people: Ford, Freud, and Einstein. I loved it, until I found out that the author was a Nazi supporter.
At first I thought, Oh God, what if someone finds out that I’m reading a book written by this Nazi guy? But then I realized something: I just learned from some of history’s legends. Who cares about the curator? Even if he was a fan of Hitler, does that mean I should cremate his creation?
Let me tell you about a similar revelation I had in Church.
Agnostic Asleep in Church
For the past two Sundays, I went to Church with a few friends. But I’m not religious. I hadn’t been since I fell asleep at the Christmas Eve service in 2015. At best, I’d consider myself a curious agnostic.
Yes, there’s a lot of cultural stigma and dogma around Christianity. Yet, none of it matters. Even if I don’t believe in God or Jesus, the Bible can still help me out.
On my last Sunday in Denver, the pastor mentioned a Greek word. Sophia. It means wisdom. On the stage, he told us a short story. When he was young, people told him that his life would have a straight, linear trajectory. But years later, he learned that life is more like a big, squiggly doodle.
He also learned that people don’t always know what’s best for you. They told him that he’d be great at sales, but in his six sales jobs, he never sold a thing.
So who does know what’s best for you? God, apparently. The pastor was damn good at selling the Bible. He even said that God gives wisdom to anyone who asks, and that wisdom is a blessing beyond all else:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” [1]
- James 1: 5-6
The Bible even has a framework: ask clearly, boldly, and persistently. Wow. Sometimes I struggle asking for help. It’s a great piece of advice. So Jesus Christ, who gives a shit where it came from? [2]
Now let me tell you a story about how a Founding Father realized something similar.
Useful > “True”
In 1728 at the age of 22, the young writer Benjamin Franklin wrote a religious essay.
He said that he believed in God but didn’t have too much faith in prayer. He was a practical guy. He thought it was a little silly to wish for personal miracles, like a hot wife or a sunny day.
In a letter he wrote to his worried parents, Franklin said that it was arrogant to make the following assumption: the things you believe are true, and the things you don’t believe are false. So instead of accepting religious dogma, he adopted beliefs that were useful for him:
"I think opinions should be judged by their influences and effects; and if a man holds none that tend to make him less virtuous or more vicious, it may be concluded that he holds none that are dangerous, which I hope is the case with me." [3]
In other words, “truth” is not absolute. When I say that cotton candy is the best flavor of ice cream, that’s my truth, probably not yours. Franklin cared about being rational and virtuous instead of relying on blind faith—especially when those beliefs didn’t really help him or other people.
So regardless of whether I believe in God, the Bible is useful. Seeking wisdom is a message I can translate across the barriers of beliefs. Same with Glimpses of the Great: reading it doesn’t mean that I share ideologies with the author.
I found a sweet strategy to apply this wisdom. Let me show you.
Rip Off The Cover
Whenever the brilliant writer Derek Sivers buys a book, he rips off the cover and chucks it in the trash before he leaves the store.
"I often tell people about a great book I think will help them," he wrote, "but sometimes they dismiss the book because they heard something they didn't like about the author."
But that doesn’t really matter, he said: "what matters is what I get out of their work, not the person who made it." “I don't care who the author is. All that matters are the ideas inside the book and what I do with them.” [4]
Think about it: someone published a book so that other people can read their life’s work in a matter of hours. While the author might make money or be a Nazi or be the savior of the world, the ideas are for you.
You know the saying about shooting the messenger? Well, don’t whack the writer. It’s not about them. That’s why when I buy a Bible, I’ll try to find one without a cover.
Notes
[1] James 1: 5-6, New International Version
[2] Of course, the Bible is an ancient and wise book, so I’m not discounting the role that durability plays in wisdom. Same with credibility, life experience, and reputation.
[3] I found this story in Walter Isaacson’s biography, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. The comment about the hot wife and the sunny day is my own silly sarcasm.
[4] I found this story in Derek Sivers’ book, Hell Yeah or No. I also heard about a similar idea for his upcoming book: Useful Not True.
Consider this potent example: Regardless of your views on Donald Trump, he’s a billionaire. So there’s probably something you can learn from him about making money and doing deals. Same applies to any book and any author with any ideology—even if the lessons are pure metaphors.
If you read this far, you’re my type of person!
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Tremendous Thanks to
, , and for reading drafts of this.Cover photo from New York Public Library.
I like the idea of there being nothing you wouldn’t read. Nothing is taboo for a truly curious mind. Seeking to learn and understand no matter what.