The Publication-
- published as an inspirational essay in March 1899
- due to popularity, it became a pamphlet and book
- sold over 40 million copies and translated in 37 different languages
- made into a movie twice, 1916 and 1936
- "Take a message to Garcia" became popular slang for taking initiative, it is still used today in the military
The Backstory-
- Setting: the Spanish-American War
- Garcia: a revolutionary seeking Cuban independence from Spain (general)
- Rowan: an Army officer (West Point, class of 1881)
- McKinley: President William McKinley, 25th president (1887-1901), assassinated six months into his second term by an anarchist
- tallest mountain in North America was (re)named for him (until 2015)
The Odd Vocabulary-
- perihelion: the point at which a planet is closest to the sun, and therefore is at its brightest
- slipshod: careless, lackadaisical, remiss
- imbecility: incapability, stupidity
- stenographer: a person who takes diction in shorthand
- missive: a letter, especially a long and an official one
The Message-
- "The world bestows its big prizes, both in money and honors, but for one thing. And that is Initiative. What is initiative? I'll tell you: It is doing the right thing without being told." - Elbert Hubbard
- The ancient Greek had a word for excellence in everything you do called areté.
- Areté definition: excellence of any kind, moral virtue, fulfillment of purpose or function, and the act of living up to one's full potential
- Areté: some philosophical background- involves all of the abilities and potentialities
No comments:
Post a Comment