Woodrow Wilson Quotes, And A Few Thoughts On Same

Woodrow Wilson–? Anyone remember him?

He was the 28th President of the United States (1913-1921).

Is he a particular favorite of mine? Not really. One of the few things I knew about him (before writing this post) was that he was President during World War I.

One interesting thing: as a boy, he actually lived through the American Civil War (1861-65). (He was born in Virginia in 1856.)

I had occasion to do a caricature of him recently, and decided to do a post about him. But I needed a new angle.

My recent posts on American presidents William Henry Harrison, Martin Van Buren, and Andrew Jackson all focused on key events during their presidencies, and the lessons we can learn from them. I wanted to do something different this time around.

On impulse I googled “Woodrow Wilson quotes,” and found this Wikiquote collection. I chose 10 quotes that resonated for me. Wilson spoke them all more than 100 years ago. Here they are with my reflections.

[Note: the Wikiquotes page cites a source for each quote (a certain speech and the year given), but doesn’t link to a competent authority that can corroborate same. I can find most of the quotes in other Woodrow Wilson quote collections, but that doesn’t constitute definitive proof that Wilson actually said them. FWIW.]

“If a dog not naturally possessed of the devil will not come to you after he has looked you in the face, you ought to go home and examine your conscience; and if a little child, from any other reason than mere timidity, looks you in the face, and then draws back and will not come to your knee, go home and look deeper yet into your conscience.”

(“Young People and the Church,“ October 13, 1904)

I’ve had bad experiences with a few dogs, but I think they were possessed by the devil… 🐶 😈😬💦

The “dog test” and the “little child test” are especially important if you’re a marketer, a salesman, or a freelancer.

“Business underlies everything in our national life, including our spiritual life. Witness the fact that in the Lord’s Prayer, the first petition is for daily bread. No one can worship God or love his neighbor on an empty stomach.”

(Speech in New York City, May 23, 1912)

Absolutely true, I would say. It also confirms my cynical opinion that while many politicians insist on a strict separation of church and state, they don’t mind temporarily embracing religion if it suits their agenda.

The lesson for marketers and freelancers: always pitch your clients after lunch.

“I would … rather lose in a cause that I know some day will triumph than triumph in a cause that I know some day will lose.”

(Speech in Syracuse, NY, September 12, 1912)

I feel that way about the pro-life cause. There was a time when many, many people accepted slavery as a fact of life. They justified it by saying that certain people weren’t fully human.

If you’re a marketer or a “brand,” you should think twice about jumping on a bandwagon. You have to build on something more enduring than a fad.

“If you think too much about being re-elected, it is very difficult to be worth re-electing.”

(Rededication and restoration of Congress Hall, Philadelphia, PA, October 25, 1913)

The key word here is ‘worth.’ Most politicians are focused on being re-elected. And most incumbents are re-elected. Which is why so many failed policies endure.

The lesson for the rest of us: we’re not worthy of someone’s business if we sell ourselves but fail to deliver a top-notch product or service.

“You are not here merely to prepare to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget this errand.”

(“Ideals of College,” Swarthmore College, October 25, 1913)

My opinion: colleges don’t enrich the world by censoring certain ideas and points of view. Ideas and philosophies have to clash if one is honestly committed to discerning truth.

It’s always tempting for a creative to accept jobs that conflict with one’s values. For me, an example would be glamorizing a product or behavior that sexualizes young girls. Wilson’s words ring true: we’re here to enrich the world and nurture a healthy culture, not just make a living.

“I would rather belong to a poor nation that was free than to a rich nation that had ceased to be in love with liberty.”

(Address on Latin American Policy before the Southern Commercial Congress, Mobile, AL, October 27, 1913)

Here in America in 2022, many are tempted to opt for security instead of freedom. Politicians keep expanding the welfare state to win votes. (Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan comes to mind.) But when the State takes care of you, the money always comes with strings. You’re no longer free, and you’re only “secure” as long as the State can keep borrowing money.

American freelancers are learning that the State is willing to curtail their liberty. The Biden Administration is actively pursuing labor policies that would reclassify freelancers as W2 workers, and force them to join unions and pay union dues. The mainstream media has largely ignored the issue.

“The way to stop financial joy-riding is to arrest the chauffeur, not the automobile.”

(The Atlanta Constitution, January 14, 1914)

The U.S. national debt is currently over 30 trillion dollars. We don’t arrest chauffeurs, we go on reelecting them.

For a brand, “joy-riding” is doing the same thing over and over again. If you’re not seeing any progress, it’s time to change creatives.

“I not only use all the brains I have, but all I can borrow, and I have borrowed a lot…”

(Speech to the National Press Club, March 20, 1914)

If you only borrow brains that think exactly like your brain, you’re doing your constituents/brand a disservice. Success (and progress) require different points of view.

Unless you’re in an old horror movie, “borrowing a brain” means hiring a collaborator. Successful brands know when to get outside help and expertise.

“One cool judgment is worth a thousand hasty counsels. The thing to do is to supply light and not heat.”

(Speech on Military Preparedness, Pittsburgh, PA, January 29, 1916)

So much of today’s “communication” is rhetoric: people preaching to the choir and calling the other guy names. All heat, no light = division.

Some brands use the same technique: create fans and followers by ridiculing others. It coarsens the culture and alienates people who might have been willing to give the brand a try.