[October 30, 2016] In Part 1 of this two-part series on T.E. Lawrence, I wrote about how he recommends fighting alongside Arab troops. But what Lawrence does best is give us his thinking on how to be successful when working with another culture so different from his own British origins.
Lawrence gives a good view of this thoughts about the both the Arab revolt against the Turks that he helped and the view that the Arabs have of those outside their tribes. Article #11 goes to the heart of this and is here in its entirety:
The foreigner and Christian is not a popular person in Arabia. However friendly and informal the treatment of yourself may be, remember always that your foundations are very sandy ones. Wave a Sharif in front of you like a banner and hide your own mind and person. If you succeed, you will have hundreds of miles of country and thousands of men under your orders, and for this it is worth bartering the outward show.
Surviving in another land with a culture that isn’t just different but actively hostile to your own requires many skills. It means being circumspect, respectful, and having a little showmanship but under certain circumstances, you will be rewarded greatly for it. Lawrence understood his place in the grand scheme of the Great Arab Revolt of 1916. His task was to give military advice to the Arabs and to ensure that British goals were accomplished. He brilliantly brought these two tasks together and because of his flair, he achieved great fame for it.
Another interesting article is #15. Lawrence gives advice that the United States military should have studied and built into their post-invasion plans prior to offensive operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. They learned their lesson but too late to be truly effective.
Do not try to do too much with your own hands. Better the Arabs do it tolerably than that you do it perfectly. It is their war, and you are to help them, not to win it for them. Actually, also, under the very odd conditions of Arabia, your practical work will not be as good as, perhaps, you think it is.
This is good advice whether a leader is looking at any country that needs help. Better that the citizens invest their blood, sweat, and tears to show they have heart in the game and are worthy. The old proverb that if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime is sage advice.
T.E. Lawrence was of great insight and used it effectively to a positive outcome for Britain during World War I. Although he rejected the publicity he received from those deeds, Lawrence remains one of the foremost Westerners who recognized that understanding the culture of those you wish to help or defeat is paramount to that end.
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Note: For a good summary about T.E. Lawrence’s life and experiences, see Wikipedia.org at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._E._Lawrence