President Coolidge: I Know The City Solicitor

When reading about president Coolidge’s life, there was one particular detail and recurring theme that I empathized with: Coolidge’s dedication to the public and his selflessness in pursuing his dreams. Coolidge made it a priority of his to chase after his goals not for vanity, but to improve himself in his capacity to serve others. He was a man who improved himself to serve the public, not a man who simply ruled the public to serve himself. One especially poignant example of this struck me on page 87 of his autobiography, where Coolidge explains how “I knew the City Solicitor was to retire and I wanted that place… but my whole thought was on my profession. I wanted to be city solicitor because I knew it would make me a better lawyer”. In a current world full of social media, “customized” culture, and generalized attitudes directed toward the individual as a consumer rather than a giver to society, this quote struck me as especially meaningful. …show more content…
Whereas Coolidge sought political advancement only to better his skills to help others at the bar, today’s youth is taught to ignore others and focus on themselves. Today I watch my classmates and peers choose their professions because of the potential for large salaries and benefits, extensive time off, or flexibility in order to pursue other hobbies. They brag about how much profit they will gain from their ventures and how their main goal in life is to be “happy”. “Happy”, yes, but at what expense to society? While I applaud their goal of satisfaction, I cannot help but feel the sneaking suspicion that the rest of my generation has lost touch with each other, focusing too much on personal growth for their own benefit. This is why Coolidge’s quote spoke to