Saturday, June 09, 2024
Larry Summers in the Times
In the Times magazine, David Leonhardt writes an interesting, generally glowing essay about Larry Summers and his intellectual, professional, and personal (not so much personal) evolutions. It's even illustrated with a portrait by fashion photographer Nigel Parry.
(Summers does not always photograph flatteringly, but he usually photographs interestingly, as this portrait shows.)
The piece reinforces the impression that Summers is a fascinating guy with enormous intellectual energy and a certain physical restlessness; I'd bet if you asked him to lay on the beach for two hours, he'd bolt after twenty minutes. He's now on the board of Teach for America, he's joined an advisory board of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and of course he's returning to Harvard. His Clinton era friends are ubiquitous. "In effect, Summers is assembling a virtual think tank," Leonhardt writes, though he strangely doesn't mention that Summers has already helped assemble a real thinktank, the Hamilton Project.
There are a couple of Harvard-related things that I think Leonhardt doesn't get quite right.
..The notion that Summers can be a bully misses one thing: he likes it when people fight back.
I know this is Summers' reputation, and it's surely true some of the time; but as many people told me while I was reporting Harvard Rules, it isn't always true, and there were plenty of occasions when people tried to argue with Summers and he did not respond well. This usually seemed to be the case where a matter of policy was at question, rather than an intellectual issue. In other words, Summers was more comfortable having his intellect challenged than his authority or his decision-making.
Leonhardt also writes: But back in academia, where social skills are not a prerequisite for success, he seemed to forget that his new job had more in common with being a cabinet secretary than with being a professor.
Social skills are not a prerequisite for success in academia? Nonsense. If you're engaged in pure intellectual work, perhaps not. But if you have the slightest administrative authority, or wish to, social skills are absolutely vital. I would point you to Neil Rudenstine, Skip Gates, Derek Bok, and Drew Faust. Imagine a President Lawrence Summers with social skills—things could have been very different. Would have been very different.
That said, Leonhardt's piece does capture some of what makes Summers such a compelling figure, and you have to respect the way that he has rebounded from his fall last spring. In some ways, his current role as a sort of intellectual free radical almost seems to suit Summers better than his role as president of Harvard. He's become a kind of economic ombudsman, working on policy issues in numerous different contexts and fora.
Leonhardt's piece was written before Summers received an honorary degree, and I gather from posters below that he received a substantial ovation when his award was announced. The rehabilitation is virtually complete. I look forward to see what happens next.
And a final note: The timing of the piece is interesting indeed, hitting the stands just in time for the Harvard reunions. Leonhardt writes that Summers has the reputation of considering himself the smartest guy in every room that he's in. Maybe, maybe not. What I think more true is that Summers can not help but upstage everyone else in every room he's in. Which surely will make life interesting for his successor.
(Summers does not always photograph flatteringly, but he usually photographs interestingly, as this portrait shows.)
The piece reinforces the impression that Summers is a fascinating guy with enormous intellectual energy and a certain physical restlessness; I'd bet if you asked him to lay on the beach for two hours, he'd bolt after twenty minutes. He's now on the board of Teach for America, he's joined an advisory board of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and of course he's returning to Harvard. His Clinton era friends are ubiquitous. "In effect, Summers is assembling a virtual think tank," Leonhardt writes, though he strangely doesn't mention that Summers has already helped assemble a real thinktank, the Hamilton Project.
There are a couple of Harvard-related things that I think Leonhardt doesn't get quite right.
..The notion that Summers can be a bully misses one thing: he likes it when people fight back.
I know this is Summers' reputation, and it's surely true some of the time; but as many people told me while I was reporting Harvard Rules, it isn't always true, and there were plenty of occasions when people tried to argue with Summers and he did not respond well. This usually seemed to be the case where a matter of policy was at question, rather than an intellectual issue. In other words, Summers was more comfortable having his intellect challenged than his authority or his decision-making.
Leonhardt also writes: But back in academia, where social skills are not a prerequisite for success, he seemed to forget that his new job had more in common with being a cabinet secretary than with being a professor.
Social skills are not a prerequisite for success in academia? Nonsense. If you're engaged in pure intellectual work, perhaps not. But if you have the slightest administrative authority, or wish to, social skills are absolutely vital. I would point you to Neil Rudenstine, Skip Gates, Derek Bok, and Drew Faust. Imagine a President Lawrence Summers with social skills—things could have been very different. Would have been very different.
That said, Leonhardt's piece does capture some of what makes Summers such a compelling figure, and you have to respect the way that he has rebounded from his fall last spring. In some ways, his current role as a sort of intellectual free radical almost seems to suit Summers better than his role as president of Harvard. He's become a kind of economic ombudsman, working on policy issues in numerous different contexts and fora.
Leonhardt's piece was written before Summers received an honorary degree, and I gather from posters below that he received a substantial ovation when his award was announced. The rehabilitation is virtually complete. I look forward to see what happens next.
And a final note: The timing of the piece is interesting indeed, hitting the stands just in time for the Harvard reunions. Leonhardt writes that Summers has the reputation of considering himself the smartest guy in every room that he's in. Maybe, maybe not. What I think more true is that Summers can not help but upstage everyone else in every room he's in. Which surely will make life interesting for his successor.
Comments:
<< Home
Sad scene last thursday when the honorary degrees were awarded. All received much applause from the faculty, and Bill Gates most of all. The exception? Summers... the faculty remained mute as his degree was announced. You could see the grimace in Derek Bok's face as he read something to the effect that 'his bold ambitions are yet to be realized in the future...'
What message could those attending the ceremonies draw from the applause of students and faculty? much to a Harvard dropout, much to a member of the Corporation that resigned in moral protestation, virtually none to a former President.
What message could those attending the ceremonies draw from the applause of students and faculty? much to a Harvard dropout, much to a member of the Corporation that resigned in moral protestation, virtually none to a former President.
It is clear that the Corporation and Derek Bok humiliated Larry forcing him to be on stage to receive the honorary degree, facing the University he faild to govern, looking at his two successors and at the faculty as they all laughed. It was worse than a third vote of no confidence, with an audience.
What a sad gray picture you've posted Richard. Looks like something out of a Hitchcok Movie, if not Hitchcok himself. A bit creepy frankly.
Indeed “narcissistic rage” has been posed by more than one observer as the primary psychological precipitant of xxx aggression. In developmental context the way in which this evolves is that as children the nascent xxxs are deeply traumatized, suffering chronic physical abuse and emotional humiliation. This creates a profound sense of fear and personal vulnerability that becomes central to their self concept. To eliminate this fear and create a more tolerable self-image, such individuals feel the need to "kill off" their view of themselves as victims. They buttress their own self-esteem by devaluing others. The result of this devaluation of others - what some have termed "malignant narcissism" - muffles their internal voice of reason and morality. Furthermore, whatever sense of “esteem” has developed in that process is extraordinarily fragile. This makes the individual particularly vulnerable to any slights, insults or ideas that threaten to shatter the façade of self-worth. Such insults are known as “narcissistic injuries” and are the triggers of narcissistic rage (Akhtar, 199929).
sounds familiar?
sounds familiar?
The four minute slide show of Commencement includes 9 pictures of Conrad K. Harper, but only two of Larry Summers. Is this a coincidence of is there a semiotic intentionality here?
http://www.commencement.harvard.edu/
http://www.commencement.harvard.edu/
"Summers recently joined the board of Teach for America, in large measure to think more about education reform" if he thinks Teach for America is going to help him understand education in this country this suggests that the guy just does not think very deeply...
Where the article misses the point entirely is in suggesting that Summers would be a natural candidate for anything with the Democrats in power. Given his recent record it is quite unlikely that any candidate would want to be visibly associated with him (can you imagine the damage the association could cause Obama? or Hillary?).
Leonhardt suggests that he might follow Kissinger's path... Secretary of State? right! that would surely help improve America's standing in the world.
Leonhardt suggests that he might follow Kissinger's path... Secretary of State? right! that would surely help improve America's standing in the world.
I take issue with Judith Ryan's comment that the Honorary degree award were thoughtfully worded. In fact, (at least, based on the written citation in the Commencement bulletin--perhaps other comments were made at the actual awarding of the degrees)I thought it was a shameful oversight not to praise Conrad Harper for his moral courage--instead, it is a mere laundry list of positions held.
In defence of Judith, this is the Harvard way, to make the point subtly - by the line-up itself, the juxtapositions, via subtleties of language and body-language that make us observers kin of Kremlin watchers of yesteryear. That does help hone our hermeneutical skills, no? It was great to see Conrad Harper up there. I always reassure those Classics undergraduates who apologetically tell me they are going to Law School rather than graduate school in Classics by saying they, and other humanities majors, will serve humanistic and ethical ends just as well in the Law if they keep in mind what they got from their humanistic training. CH is right at the top of those who did that balancing act, in large part because he kept in touch with and was guided by the literary texts that formed him and still matter to him. They should ask him back for another term
It would be pretty hard to mix up Conrad Harper and Larry Summers to anyone who has a minimum sensibility for human decency.
In all the pictures of Conrad Harper he is at the center of the picture, broad smile, they are great pictures. It's true that Larry is in the edge of some of the pictures where someone else --like Bill Gates-- is at the center. There is not a single picture where Larry is central.
Professor Thomas is quite correct. Seating Larry between two great Bills was not accidental. The intention of the composition was very evident for anyone able to see --like those perceptive undergraduates and their families...
The content of this discussion gives one pause... If indeed Larry is damaged goods and has no place to go, and if the quote above about narcisssistic personalities is correct, then indeed President Drew Faust should keep a close eye on Professor Summers.
A google search of that 9.28 post shows that it comes from a publication titled 'The Psychology of Terrorism'. Troubling indeed.
A google search of that 9.28 post shows that it comes from a publication titled 'The Psychology of Terrorism'. Troubling indeed.
this is a wierd set of comments for anyone who was there. What stood out was that summers got a standing ovation and a roar from the crowd that forced a reluctant corporation to join in. The volume and the warmth was entirely different than for anyone except gates.
To 12:15 AM: my comments were based on the citations read at Commencement. When I said that "the commendations were formulated and the degrees awarded with remarkable grace," I was referring to the regard for etiquette and diplomacy that marked this part of the ceremony. Anyone who knows me is well aware how much I admire Conrad Harper's moral courage. On this occasion (Commencement), however, the important thing was to praise each honorand without making backhand swipes at others. I admire the way in which the citations achieved this fine balance.
This is all very snide and senseless. Summers is a talented man who will be a credit to dozens of significant endeavors and institutions in coming years. Can we stop with the junior-high stuff? Everyone's on the same team these days. Anyone who disagrees with that last comment needs to be SPECIFIC about why.
Ceremonies are ceremonial. It is not in the nature of the people who run commencement to indulge in insults and backbitery. That's why they run the most ceremonial event at the most ceremonial place, outside the Vatican, in the world.
Get over yourselves, anonymice! (also, come play
my fun American-history parlor game in the post below).
SE
Ceremonies are ceremonial. It is not in the nature of the people who run commencement to indulge in insults and backbitery. That's why they run the most ceremonial event at the most ceremonial place, outside the Vatican, in the world.
Get over yourselves, anonymice! (also, come play
my fun American-history parlor game in the post below).
SE
Look, crowds cheer for people they have heard of, and Harvard students are no exception. Larry is a celebrity, a media figure. So is Gates. So they got the two biggest rounds of applause. It's no more complicated than that. Much as the faculty hated Larry's black town car, Harvard students loved it. It was a symbol of his importance, and hence theirs. It's too bad that Harvard students don't know enough about Harper to respect him, and have no idea who Bill Russell is, but neither one is visible, so no cheers.
The dinner for the honorands the night before commencement may be a more significant indictator because the biggest donors, most important alumni and most influential faculty were present. compared to Harper (and Bill Russell), Summers received only polite applause. More significantly, in his comments about Summers, Bok spent almost all of his time on stories about giving Summers tenure at an early age, and visiting him in the hospital. There were only one or two sentences about his presidency(and not unambigurously positive ones at that. Much of the buzz in the room was about the symbolism of awarding Harper the degree at the same time as Summers--most thought this was a deliberate slap at Summers (some thought deserved). But many people didn't appreciate that breaking the custom in either case would have been even worse symbolism. Retiring Presidents and Corporation members receive honorary degrees in the first year after their departures. Still, given Harvard's decorum, this was an unprecedented public rebuke to a former president. Whether deserved or not, it suggests that Summers' support among the Harvard elite is waning.
Here is another example of "dancing on the grave" of Summers, maybe even more significant: Jeff Sachs and Neil Rudenstine were awarded the Graduate School's Centennial Medal this year. The tribute to Sachs pointedly praised him for activities that Summers refused to support when Sachs was at Harvard. The tribute to Rudenstine gave him credit for some of the agenda that Summers tries to take credit for.
Post a Comment
<< Home
