Despite knowing that “many folks would be deeply unhappy with me,” in 2019, J.K. Rowling of “Harry Potter” fame sent a tweet defending Maya Forstater, who had lost her job for having written in a tweet that transgender women cannot change their biological sex.
Whatever we may think of Ms. Rowling’s stance, most of us will admire her courage. She could have kept her mouth shut and moved on. Moreover, this incident demonstrates the power of one—the ability of a single person, in this case an internationally known celebrity—to make a difference in the world.
When compared to Ms. Rowling, many of us, including me, may feel as if we have little or no power at all to shape society. As much as we may want to have some sort of impact, we see ourselves as too insignificant or too busy to do so. Our days are spent earning a living, performing household chores, caring for kids, and tending to other obligations.
When we finally catch a break, we sit down in front of our phones and laptops, take in some news, nearly always unpleasant, and throw up our hands. We’ll grumble and grouse, all the while telling ourselves there’s not a thing we can do to help repair our broken culture.
And right there is where we’re dead wrong.
I’m as guilty as anyone of forgetting that we are the culture. Each one of us, for better or for worse, has a role in that most powerful of plays: life. Each one of us, whether we know it or not, possesses the power of one.
That mother who spends time every day reading to her children and teaching them phonics? That’s the power of one. She’s creating a better future for the culture right there in her living room. That guy who spends his days hammering? He’s providing for his family, sure, but he’s also putting up homes for families and contributing to the wealth—and the culture—of the country. That’s the power of one. That teenager who volunteers to play piano once a week for the elderly in an assisted living facility? She’s pure sunshine on a cloudy day, bringing smiles and memories of their own youth to the aged, crippled, and infirm. That’s the power of one.
Of course, there’s a flip side to this coin. The parents who abuse or neglect their children, making them feel small and worthless? They’re creating a darker future for us all. That’s the power of one. The bigot—white, black, or brown—who lumps people together based on their skin color? He’s adding more trash to the garbage heap of division in the culture. That’s the power of one. That teenager who takes to the street to pillage and rob, or wastes his days and nights on games and social media instead of working or getting an education? He’s pilfering from his future and ours. That’s the power of one.
“The measure of a man is what he does with power,” wrote Plato. He was thinking of power over others, but he also advocated self-mastery, the ability to control ourselves for good or ill. This is the power of one.
How we use that power is up to us.
