By Joshua Christianson
I didn’t really grow up with Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, but I have vague memories of it. I was only 7 when it ended in 2001. It didn’t have a great deal of time to grow on me, but I’m still able to recall the odd respect I had for it. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t animated. It didn’t have aliens, superheroes, or Disney cartoons. Yet I enjoyed it all the same, for reasons I couldn’t understand. Last month an incredible documentary came out which showed me why.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor is a hard film to find at the moment. It’s had a very limited release in very few theaters, but if you search online or on the film’s website you might be able to find a showing near you. For my part, I had to travel to the other end of the city to find a good enough theater, and boy… It was worth it. When the lights came back on and I’d wiped away my tears I was overwhelmed with a desire to share it with everyone. Because Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was a work of Genius, and it can teach us how to nurture the Genius within ourselves and others.
{Warning- spoilers ahead for Would You Be My Neighbor… if such a thing can be spoiled…}
The Genius of Mr. Rogers
“Love is at the root of everything, all learning, all relationships. Love or the lack of it.”
The heart of the show was, of course, the remarkable man himself: Fred Rogers. For those unfamiliar with the series, Mr. Rogers was the host, star, puppeteer, composer, and creator of the ½ hour show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Always soft spoken and kind, he appeared as both the host of the show and the voice of puppets in the Land of Make Believe, where characters like Daniel Tiger and King Friday the Thirteenth would act out stories with real people.
It was a simple show, but the genius of Fred Rogers made it magical.
He was an ordained Presbyterian minister but never preached the gospel on the show. He was a television icon but joined the industry because he hated it and the things it was showing kids. He was a lifelong advocate and friend of children and somehow managed to build very personal relationships with them through only their television screens. Respected by almost everyone, beloved by children and adults alike, he was America’s favorite neighbor. His philosophy is best summed up in his own words: “Love is at the root of everything, all learning, all relationships. Love or the lack of it.”
What endeared him to so many was the incredible example he set and the vision he shared- one of genuine kindness and love. Every day he encouraged honesty, creativity, friendship, wisdom, and so much more. He spoke clearly and slowly, never rushing, always taking care that his words were clear and honest. He was unafraid to talk to children about difficult subjects like anger, sadness, death, violence, and the dangers they might face. But he always assured listeners that it was alright to experience these things, talk about them with other people, and work through them.
What’s more, his show was incredibly versatile, and he used it to address issues big or small. One episode shared how to enjoy and make art, instead of judging or comparing it to someone else’s. Another addressed the racist behaviors of the day, with Rogers’ bringing on a black actor to be a policeman and friend on the show. For all of its outward simplicity, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was incredibly radical for children’s television. It was fearless in its love.
“It’s You I Like”
“In a way you’ve already won in this world because you’re the only one who can be you.”
One of the things Mr. Rogers said many times at the end of his show was “I like you just the way you are.” This idea was essential to the show and its message.
“I don’t think anyone can grow unless he’s loved exactly as he is now, appreciated for what he is rather than what he will be,” he said once. So, it was intensely important to him that children learn to be their genuine selves. He encouraged people to share what was on their minds and in their hearts, saying that, “Feelings are mentionable and manageable.” In his eyes, every single person was unique and worthy of love. Why would we want to hide ourselves if that is true? “Nobody else can live the life you live,” he said, “And even though no human being is perfect, we always have the chance to bring what’s unique about us to live in a redeeming way.”
While he never called it that, what Mr. Rogers shared was the Genius Paradigm. He had a deep desire for the children watching to embrace who they are, be true to themselves, and use their unique qualities to live meaningful lives. It didn’t mean that they were perfect. It didn’t even mean that they were special. But he wanted us to know that we are worth it. We are more than enough, as we are. And we can do so much good in the world:
“If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”
The Lesson is Love
“The world needs a sense of worth, and it will achieve it only by its people feeling that they are worthwhile.”
Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood teaches us an important lesson: love nurtures the genius in children.
It is incredibly obvious when you really consider it. Genius requires that children embrace what makes them different, but as they grow and begin to judge themselves it is hard for them to do this on their own. Mr. Rogers understood that this isn’t always easy to love: “[It] isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” But by loving them we show that it’s okay to be themselves- that they don’t have to be afraid of who they are or their genius.
Our love should be genuine, embracing their strengths and weaknesses together, and assuring them that it is okay to be imperfect. They may worry about their choices and mistakes, but they should never doubt that who they are is worthy of love. “You don’t ever have to do anything sensational in order to love or to be loved…” said Mr. Rogers. “What really nourishes our souls is the knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear the truth, that the foundation of our very being is good stuff.”
So let’s remember to love. Children need it the most, and as parents and teachers, we can help them find their genius. But more than that, let’s love everyone. We can love like Mr. Rogers did: generously, fully, and genuinely. Maybe then we can inspire genius everywhere we go. As he once said, “The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self.” If we can learn to do that ourselves I think we will find the world is filled with hidden genius.