Shouting Versus Whispering

For some time now in the world of animal training, the trend has moved away from assertiveness toward one of positive reinforcement. Credit the horse and dog whisperers perhaps with making us aware of the possibility of "communicating" with our animals, rewarding their positive behaviors and earning their trust rather than dominating them into "shape."

It is no small coincidence that these trends mirror those in child rearing--reward the positive and don't use force to get your child to do what you want them to do. Much more communication and less insistence upon the "It's my way or the highway" approach.

Which came first is an interesting question, but my guess is that they probably evolved somewhat simultaneously. All part of a general move toward a kinder, gentler style of asserting control which seems to have become almost routine in our society.

I think it's fair to say that these two trends which tend to separate people into (dare I say it?) red and blue categories, have come to dominate our political parties as well. Think about the "Yes we can!" message of positive reinforcement perpetrated by the Obama campaign contrasted with the images of power, security and force that the McCain camp consistently delivers.

And while Obama has pretty much declared patriotism and service "off limits" (because everyone shares these beliefs), the image of McCain the powerful hero remains. He was strong enough and brave enough and tough enough to survive POW captivity and these are the qualities he will bring to the White House.

At the expense of treading into some fairly complex issues, dare I say as Trudy Rubin pointed out in a wonderful op-ed piece in Sunday's Inquirer, that this is the difference between a Cold War and post Cold War mentality? The images of America and Americans as the dominant players on the world stage versus a more collaborative model.

I'm not sure it is a simple as red or blue or as divisive as one way or the other--as with most trends the ultimate answer seems to be a combination of both--but it is indeed fascinating to see the two behaviors play out on the national stage.

I think this is one of the more fundamental reasons why the Republicans in their current incarnation seem to me to be completely out of touch with reality. The world simply does not operate on that Cold War model any more and trying to perpetrate it will get us nowhere, as Iraq pretty much demonstrates.

Think about trying to put a saddle on a horse's back for the first time. Would you go about it slowly, introducing the new equipment gradually over many days, gently building up the horse's confidence and trust in you as well as in his own ability to tolerate it or would you simply throw it on and stand back until he "got used to it?" Which method do you think inspires more trust on the part of the horse toward you, his trainer? And which method in the end leads to a more productive, harmonious and fulfilling relationship?

I don't think I have to shout to get my point across.