Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962)

Just delightful. While some observation or advice is very particular to the time, most of it is timeless. The passages worth remembering or referencing later filled three typed pages. Fear -- the Great Enemy; The Uses of Time; The Art of Maturity; Readjustment is Endless; The right to BE an Individual were chapters I found ripe with wisdom.

"I never can understand why so many people are afraid to live their own lives as they themselves think is right. You can get rid of your neighbors but you cannot get rid of yourself, so you are the person to be satisfied." (125)

This time through I read a library copy. I know I need one of my own.… (mer)

I did not know too much about Eleanor Roosevelt before reading this, for instance, I did not know that she was more closely related to Teddy Roosevelt than FDR was. :O I enjoyed reading her articles and the historical summaries accompanying them. She comes across as such a refreshing combination of someone who was both extremely empathetic and rational -- which I really identified with. It is amazing (and somewhat depressing) how similar the issues she spoke of are still pertinent today.

The one article that really jumped out to me was her quoting Jefferson.

We should remember Thomas Jefferson's admonition that democracy, which we have discovered through the years to be one of the most difficult forms of government, cannot function except with an educated electorate.

I had recently come across an article that was doing a poll about the purpose of education in the United States, and not one response spoke of the need for an educated electorate which I found shocking, so it was nice to see her make that point.… (mer)