Town Hall Center for Civic Life: Robert Fuller

This was one of the better talks I’ve been to. I liked it for many reasons—one being that Robert Fuller didn’t claim to have all the answers but still came off as a wise and authoratative person on his own topic. He’s obviously put a lot of thought into Liberty, Fraternity & Equality as governing concepts. And he claims that his idea of Dignity is more a result of a thinking on the couch when he’d become a “nobody” himself without the title or rank privledge he’d held before leaving his job. He’s lived the philosophy he is suggesting we embrace.

During the follow-up Q&A session a potentially uncomfortable moment unfolded as a gentleman in his 50s talked about living in downtown Seattle for 20+ years—but feeling like he’d been routinely ignored by his fellow citizens. On his walk to the talk last night he described people looking away from him as he made his way through his city to Town Hall from downtown. He dressed and looked perhaps less fortunate or lower in rank than other folks at the talk last night (he was bushy bearded and modestly dressed). His voice quavered as he tried to get out that he felt hurt and banished by his own Seattle people. After a bit of emotional rambling he finally asked Dr. Fuller what he thought the solution to such alienation might be. Fuller graciously asked the man how he would answer his own question.

The room of Seattleites hushed and (in my mind) a rare collective moment of strangers connecting with strangers occured. Fuller, myself, the man asking the question and others waited expectantly, not knowing what was going to happen next. The man paused, then said that if people would simply gesture and acknowledge him … instead of ignoring him … he would feel like he belonged. It was a golden moment.

To me this exchange summarized much of the entire evening: a little dignity between people can go a long way.

Learn more about the Dignity Movement.

I heard Robert Fuller on the radio this morning talking about the “politics of dignity” and I have to say, he was on fire (here’s a link to the podcast). He’s taken a concept I’ve heard political theorists wrestle with and has made it so practical that just about anyone can understand what he’s talking about. What I found compelling was Fuller’s description of “dignity” as a way out of the bounds (and internal tensions) of libertarianism or egalitarianism. I also found he had a succinct way of relating this view of “equal dignity” in areas from public policy, the workplace, and foreign affairs. I believe he’ll be reading tonight at the University bookstore, but I plan on catching him tomorrow at Town Hall.