Mark Twain was a keen observer of his fellow man. As a result, we have a myriad of quips and comments he has passed down for future generations to enjoy. The other day I came across one that really made me think: "Every civilization carries the seeds of its own destruction, and the same cycle shows in them all."
It's fairly easy for me to see the shortcomings of other cultures which will result in their demise--graft and corruption, tribalism, nepotism, lack of work ethic, and many other areas that are easy to identify.
It's a little more difficult to see weaknesses in my own culture, but they are there, and we read editorials about them frequently--the breakdown of the family, racism, materialism, and you can add your own pet peeve to the list.
Things get interesting when we apply Mark Twain's statement to corporations. John Brooks wrote Business Adventures, which has become a classic in the business world. He tells stories about the mistakes of big corporations, along with an analysis of where they went wrong. Basically he is giving examples of Mark Twain's statement as it applies to business.
But let's not stop with corporations. How about families? We're all aware of unspoken rules and expectations passed down to us by our parents. Our early years also shaped the way we respond to criticism, and how we handle an affront.
The question I ask myself is, "What seeds of destruction are in me?" We have all seen someone self-destruct. We think, "how sad." Alcoholism, anger, bitterness, lust, greed, are just a few destructive seeds that can germinate at an inopportune moment and destroy 20 or 30 years of relationships that we have worked hard to build.
The seeds of destruction don't have to germinate. We don't have to water the soil. We don't have to respond to life the way we were brought up. I have found the best response is to conform my goals to Jesus. The Sermon on the Mount goes into great detail about how to live productively and not allow destructive seeds to grow.
