. “Do you love English literature, Mr. Hutchins, or do you feel a vocation to teach, or what is your motive?” “I want to earn enough money to put myself through law school,” Hutchins answered, his arrogant head held high.
“Why should you earn the money?” Bell
asked. “That’s an awkward way to go about it. I know that college
presidents do not get large salaries, but your father has many wealthy
friends, any one of whom would be happy to lend you the money for law
school; once successful as a lawyer, you could pay back the sum. Why not
do that?”
“Because,” said Hutchins, sustained by
much self-assurance, “I don’t mean to be obligated to anyone.” Clearly
he anticipated approval of such fine Emersonian self-reliance.
“Then, Mr. Hutchins, we don’t want you at St. Stephen’s.”
Young Hutchins was angry: “Why not?”
“Because, Mr. Hutchins, we don’t want anyone in this college who is too proud to be obligated to anybody.”
"... the authentic conservative
tradition in the West, owing to its Christian roots, leaves room for
gratuitous, unmerited favor—what Burke named and Kirk championed “the unbought grace of life”. (Please, friends, treat yourself by reading the material at the link.)
Life is not a zero-sum affair. Most of
us receive much more than we deserve, more than we could possibly “earn”
without help. For the proud, this condition of being openly indebted to
God and to men is personally humiliating, and typically issues in
various manifestations of resentment...or denial...
When I left home after high school, I
stayed with my great aunt and uncle for three years while attending
community college. Their help to me was indispensible. I once told Uncle
Lou that I would try to repay them. He told me, 'Don’t repay us, Jeff.
Just do the same for somebody else.'"
