The Grasshopper is like summer melons; he’s showing up everywhere. His latest offering is a question: “Do you advocate or do you argue?”

Upon hearing this, I got a picture of Mother Teresa in my mind as an advocate. I then thought of American lawyer, Alan Dershowitz as the poster child for someone who argues.

Advocate or argue have a different feel even though on the surface the goal seems the same: Take an action to have something happen that you want to happen.

You can argue your way there with “truth, justice and the American way” or you can advocate by showing people the way.

Each has their place and, from my perspective, we do too much of one and too little of the other.

Maybe it’s a benefit of age but I notice that I argue less than I have in the past. My messages of righteousness don’t seem worth the same amount of argument they once produced. That old approach has the feel of a saying my grandmother used from time to time: “Don’t do as I do; do as I say.”

Advocating seems to be tied to deeply held ideas whereas arguing can have us spout on about something that maybe even we don’t believe in.

Advocating seems to be leading by example rather than citing myriad examples of why you should do something.

I could make an argument for advocating more but I just don’t want to. I’ve come to find that the way to go is totally up to you.

I just hope I’ve stimulated your curiosity as to which one will work better for you.

All the best,

John