In 1990 President George H.W. Bush told the New York Times that he didn’t like broccoli and he wasn’t going to eat it anymore. That statement generated a lot of commentary from lovers and haters of broccoli. I have to admit that when I was young I was a broccoli hater. However, my older self has developed a liking for it–although I wouldn’t say I love it.
There has to be some important life lessons in these broccoli experiences. For me, I reached a point in my life when health concerns made me revisit my dislike for broccoli; I was willing to give it another try. The important lesson here is that, over time, perceptions, values, tastes, and preferences can change.
From President Bush I think one lesson is that life is too short to continue spending our limited resources on things we truly hate. In other words, if one has no legal or ethical obligation to eat that dreaded broccoli, why eat broccoli?
