Tilting at Windmills
Tilting at Windmills
Pablo Picasso’s “Don Quixote” 1955.
Perhaps you are familiar with the story of Don Quixote. Maybe you saw the rendition of Man of La Mancha[1] on Broadway or maybe you were lucky enough to see his image made famous by Pablo Picasso while traveling through Spain.
Cervantes novel from the 17th century[2] has had a consistent presence in popular culture. I first encountered this foundational and critical piece of Western Literature in a high school Spanish class. As 16- and 17-year-old novice Spanish speakers, we attempted to translate and understand an abridged version of this 400 years old tome.
As we learned, the story is about a Spanish nobleman who, driven by ideals of duty, justice and the honor of a beautiful maiden, travels through the countryside with his trusted sidekick to right wrongs and pursue justice
Sort of.
Actually, Miquel Cervantes playfully recounts the varying perspectives of his characters- primarily those of the hero, Quixote and everyone else. In the story, those around Quixote see him as afflicted with comedic delusions of grandeur, and his errands as foolhardy. He moves from scene to scene while onlookers watch in bafflement or amusement to see what he will do next. Yet, this story is about much more than a confused old man, engaging in acts of futility. We know from Joseph Campbell[3] that the stories we tell give insights to us about what is important. I like how Ilan Stavans puts it in his review of Cervantes’ work:
“I beg to differ with the characterization of Don Quixote as unrealistic; to me, Don Quixote is hyper-realistic. He understands quite well the weight of reality, even if he refuses to see it, thus choosing to sidestep it, to improve on it. I find him the most learned of all characters in literature, a wise man, an enlightened soul.”[4]
I will offer here a disclaimer: it is fair to say that my high school appreciation of the material as read through very limited Spanish is unsophisticated, and certainly many others have more sophisticated analysis of themes and subthemes. I however, see a commentary on leadership.
Don Quixote had a strong sense of self that helped him stay on course
Quixote was what Friedman[5] would have called self-differentiated. While others called him crazy, he knew who he was and that helped him maintain his mission. In fact, though he defied the norms of the day, I remember our Spanish teacher Mrs Campobasso standing in front of our class and asking: “was he really crazy for going after his ideas?” Maybe a little. But maybe we need more of that kind of crazy.
Don Quixote saw the potential in people: Quixote defined reality differently than those around him. Where others saw a barmaid, Don Quixote saw a princess in Dulcinea del Toboso. When others overlooked a peasant laborer in Sancho Panza, Don Quixote anointed him as his squire. He even believed that his old, tired farm horse, Rocinante was a mighty stallion. And those characters were impacted by how he regarded them. Truly, as leaders, we can help others think beyond the way society has labeled them.
Don Quixote took on the injustices that other people had accepted as normal:
“Tilting at windmills” is an expression that came from Cervantes’s work and represents the action of fighting an issue that is generally accepted as routine or mundane. Don Quixote was called to uphold the concepts of honor and duty and was not intimidated when doing so meant going against the prevailing attitudes of the day. In the beginning of Jesus and the Powers NT Wright and Michael Bird challenge us to do the same:
“…we need more than ever to recover our kingdom-vocation. For our days are mired in one tragedy after another, truth has become tribalised, despots seem undefeatable, democracies appear endemically defective, and masses of men and women have dulled their senses into moral apathy by giving themselves over to the mind-numbing frivolity of their i-devices. To build for the kingdom we need to confront the difficult subject of empire, appreciate the ambiguous place that Christianity has occupied in Western civilisation, and consider how best to offer a Christian witness in an age that has lost its ability to reason with others.”[6]
This is what we are called to do. And, like Quixote, we need to see the dragons hiding as windmills in plain sight.
And this is where I want to finish off my review of Don Quixote. How many injustices are in existence today that no longer even register as an issue? Child poverty, human trafficking, foreign sabotage of elections, corrupted government officials… I could go on and on. I return Mrs. Campobasso’s question: Was Quixote crazy? Her eyes sparkled as she asked the question, because I think she wished we had more leaders who were strong in their self-identity, generously saw the best in others, and were willing to tilt at a few windmills. Perhaps Don Quixote in his ‘craziness’ really has a lesson for us all in how to lead people to better places.
I will leave you with a quote from Steve Jobs:
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.
Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written?
…Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”[7]
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[1] “Man of La Mancha,” in Wikipedia, September 4, 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Man_of_La_Mancha&oldid=1244030500.
[2] Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote, First Ecco paperback edition. (New York: Ecco, HarperCollins, 2005).
[3] Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Joseph Campbell Foundation, 2020).
[4] Ilan Stavans, “Don Quixote: Sloppy, Inconsistent, Baffling, Perfect,” Literary Hub (blog), October 7, 2015, https://lithub.com/don-quixote-sloppy-inconsistent-baffling-perfect/.
[5] Edwin H. Friedman and Peter Steinke, A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix (10th Anniversary, Revised Edition) (New York: Church Publishing Incorporated, 2017).
[6] N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies (Zondervan, 2024), 9.
[7]“Here’s to the Crazy Ones,” Basic Apple Guy, accessed September 9, 2024, https://basicappleguy.com/basicappleblog/heres-to-the-crazy-ones.
About the Author
Jennifer Vernam
10 responses to “Tilting at Windmills”
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Hi Jennifer,
Again I am impressed by your blogpost.
“Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy.”
Ahh…leaders versus managers. I have been wrestling with my GoodSports International Board about getting started in Ukraine. The bulk of the board are accountants (which we needed in the early days of our non profit).
My frustration with these accountants reached a boiling point and to be honest I have to rebuild some bridges.
Flash forward: I have come to realize that we do need managers to keep the system going but it is leaders who forge ahead.
Thanks for these quoting these inspiring words.
Shalom…
Glad the post resonated, Russell. I understand your frustration with the DOLO (doors open, lights on) mentality getting in the way of innovation. A question: do you think it is appropriate to push your managers to be more innovative (leader-ly) or do you think that they should be encouraged to keep their eye on the day-to-day, DOLO things?
Hi Jennifer,
While I have learned to appreciate the role they play. I also cannot let that stop me from executing my role. By forging ahead, I can lead by example and allow them to see Ukraine from my perspective. It is not unlike my partnership with my wife. While she keeps me rooted (and I appreciate that balance), I also add movement and “exploration” to the relationship.
I suppose it is a matter of honoring their perspective so that they in turn learn to honor mine.
Also we have a saying, “Better to ask for forgiveness, rather than ask for permission.”
Risky, but then in Ukraine, we have established numerous contacts that will support Ukrainian Christians leaping to the tasks that God has set before them.
From my perspective I would be disobedient to God’s call if I let a their “let’s wait and see” attitude prevail.
Shalom…
This is such a thoughtful reflection on *Don Quixote*! My son actually read it this summer, inspired by its reputation as the greatest novel ever written. I really appreciate your take on leadership through Quixote’s self-differentiation and vision. Your connection to modern injustices and the courage to “tilt at windmills” resonates deeply!
Hi Mathieu- I was surprised to learn that both of my kids, and the kid at the library who checked out the book to me, knew about Cervantes. It made me wonder if there was something in the subject matter that captured their attention? I am not sure, because as you could imagine, when I asked more questions I got lots of shoulder shrugs and “I don’t know”s.
Glad you enjoyed the post!
Jen, you state that “Don Quixote was called to uphold the concepts of honor and duty and was not intimidated when doing so meant going against the prevailing attitudes of the day.” As you compared this with Wright and Bird’s quote (particularly, “and consider how best to offer a Christian witness in an age that has lost its ability to reason with others”), I thought about your NPO. I’m guessing the solution you are bringing to the table will do exactly that — “go against the prevailing attitudes of the day”. The prevailing attitude would be to stay ensconced in tribalism and avoid the difficult process of working through disagreement or divergent perspectives as Christians. And, I’m guessing the part of a wicked problem you are owning is helping to bring reason — winsome persuasion? — back to the table. Great post.
I hope so, Travis! This week, I have been thinking a lot about the paradoxes in Quixote… There is an aspect of what he saw that was actually crazy. And then there was the part of the craziness that might get people to see new realities that are productive- innovative. I guess what I am struggling with is how to help others make space to hear the radical ideas while also not getting sucked into the rabbit hole, so to speak.
Jen,
“We need to see the dragons hiding as windmills in plain sight.” This quote inspires much thought. My book was the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Early in Christianity, it was the Roman Empire that brought persecution to the church, which Foxe sees as understandable. However, as time continued, persecution moved to Christians persecuting Christians. The Catholic Church and its own perceived beliefs became the end all, resulting in horrific injustice – dragons hiding in plain sight. I had to ask, how could Godly people be so mislead to take part in such cruelty?
Perhaps they needed Dr. Jennifer’s Vernham’s book on having tough conversations regarding opposing views???
Esther, you have latched onto the real challenge, here. In addition to maintaining a humble, prayerful stance, I think one of the best things that can safe guard us from repeating these horrors of the past is making ourselves spend time in the company of people with whom we disagree. What do you think?
Agreed. In an impersonal we vs. them mentality we don’t engage on a human level. Spending time with those of opposing views gives us a much better understanding of their back drop, helps clarifiy any biases we may have, and brings a greater ability to put feet to Christ’s love, whether through presence or word,