Question: When did you first understand your life's purpose?
Jim Woolsey: My mother always wanted me to go to law school and to come back and practice law at my father’s firm. And being an only child and somewhat independent, of course that was the last thing I was going to do. I was always very interested in history. Still I am. I spent most of my years of junior high school, high school, and college thinking I was going to be a professor of history, mainly modern Europe focusing on Germany. I learned to speak German when I was a freshman at Stanford and was passably good at it, not great. Studied at Stanford’s branch campus in Germany. Worked in a German refugee camp – a Red Cross refugee camp in West Berlin in the summer of 1960 when I was 18. That was a year before the wall went up, so we were helping refugees who were trying to get across before something happened. We didn’t know what it was going to be, but it was going to be something. And I finally decided about halfway through my first year at Oxford that I really wasn’t the sort of person who was going to be happy spending most of my life in a library writing books. I might want to write one sometime, but I haven’t yet. So I almost, by default, turned back to law. I went to Yale Law School, loved it, did reasonably well and was headed for full time law practice – probably with a very fine Los Angeles firm where I’d interned during the summer, … & Meyers – when I had to go on active duty because I held an ROTC commission. I was assigned to the Pentagon working on intelligence matters, and I’d been there about six months.
Recorded on: 7/2/07
Discuss
Musycks on March 16, 2008, 8:06 PM
Yet another Rabbi uttering very sensible things for a person to pursue as an individual. Again, more motherhood statements. What's not to like?
But the issue is, what prism does he view the world through? One that sets aside a people as 'God's chosen', one that still fights military campaigns against other people based on these neanderthal value systems, that's what.
Bang on all you like about small acts of kindness, but the Palestinians may well ask, what about me? They respond in kind and the cycle continues.. they dance in the street exhalting their God (the same one as the Jews)everytime an Israeli student is killed… and the cycle continues. That's the pointy end of your faith Rabbi, like it or not… you talk about communities.. but a faith that excludes you from the broader community is suspect I think, both yours and the faith of your Muslim brothers.
Musycks on March 17, 2008, 12:06 AM
Yet another Rabbi uttering very sensible things for a person to pursue as an individual. Again, more motherhood statements. What’s not to like?
But the issue is, what prism does he view the world through? One that sets aside a people as ’God’s chosen’, one that still fights military campaigns against other people based on these neanderthal value systems, that’s what.
Bang on all you like about small acts of kindness, but the Palestinians may well ask, what about me? They respond in kind and the cycle continues.. they dance in the street exhalting their God (the same one as the Jews)everytime an Israeli student is killed… and the cycle continues. That’s the pointy end of your faith Rabbi, like it or not… you talk about communities.. but a faith that excludes you from the broader community is suspect I think, both yours and the faith of your Muslim brothers.
Edward C on March 24, 2008, 5:30 PM
Can religion be a force for good?
As long as we go beyond the literal translation and discuss the symbolism and meaning – yeah sure why not :-)
Edward C on March 24, 2008, 9:30 PM
Can religion be a force for good?
As long as we go beyond the literal translation and discuss the symbolism and meaning – yeah sure why not :-)
Isabel M on April 18, 2008, 11:12 AM
well, for one thing, i guess it depends how you see religion. Religion helps explain reasons why were here and how to live our daily lives. But we all think differently, just like there are a many variety of religios of which you can believe in, but could this wide range of religions make things worse? possibly.
Isabel M on April 18, 2008, 3:12 PM
well, for one thing, i guess it depends how you see religion. Religion helps explain reasons why were here and how to live our daily lives. But we all think differently, just like there are a many variety of religios of which you can believe in, but could this wide range of religions make things worse? possibly.
Silent Anonymous on May 21, 2008, 6:10 PM
Quick response (from an agnostic), made before watching Sam Harris. Rabbi Irwin, made mention of "Grand Acts"… Just adding my two cents, I would have to say that ALL grand acts are the culmination of many small acts and he therefore is on the money with his thought. It takes numerous small acts, starting with something as small as reading a book, saying hi to a stranger, or kissing your wife when you're angry, to ever reach the status of a grand act.
Silent Anonymous on May 21, 2008, 10:10 PM
Quick response (from an agnostic), made before watching Sam Harris. Rabbi Irwin, made mention of “Grand Acts”… Just adding my two cents, I would have to say that ALL grand acts are the culmination of many small acts and he therefore is on the money with his thought. It takes numerous small acts, starting with something as small as reading a book, saying hi to a stranger, or kissing your wife when you’re angry, to ever reach the status of a grand act.
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