Joe Biden and The Power of Walking Away

Respect is a peculiar thing. The more someone demands it from us, the less likely we are to give it to them. Ironically, it is usually the people who do not want or need our respect who end up getting it.

For three full weeks following a humiliating performance in the presidential debate against Trump, Biden continued to staunchly chase after the respect of his supporters, fighting to prove himself in front of a crowd that is increasingly doubtful of his worth. I argue that chasing after respect is the very antithesis of gaining it. A man is often most respected when he intelligently walks away with dignity.

This was what happened to my sentiment towards President Biden earlier this morning. A few hours ago, the president announced his exit from the 2024 presidential race, effectively admitting his defeat to Trump. But instead of feeling pity or looking down on Biden for his resignation, I felt a sense of respect for a man who has intelligently chosen to bow out of a race he knew he could not win.

Beneath the spectacle of politics, we must remember that Joe Biden is a man — an elderly man — who has worked at the highest level of US politics for a good 50 years. Longevity is not always a sign of productivity, but it is certainly a sign of perseverance. Quantity is not always a sign of quality, but it is certainly a sign of persistence. Regardless of your political views on the man, it is difficult to deny that Biden is a persistent individual who has persevered through a whole lot in his life.

During the infancy of his political career in 1972, Biden lost his first wife Neilia and his one-year-old daughter Naomi in a tragic automobile accident. Forty-three years later, in 2015, Biden experienced a fate that no parent could fathom for themselves — losing yet another child. This time it was his son Beau, who died of brain cancer at the age of 46. Biden was 73 years old when he experienced the loss of a child for the second time in his life. As for his two remaining children, Hunter and Ashley Biden, both have publicly stated their struggles with substance abuse.

In the country of Indonesia where I was raised, there is a very strong culture of respect towards the elderly. It is all well and good to poke fun at politicians for our entertainment. They often deserve it. But Biden’s recent admission of defeat is a strong reminder that he is ultimately an old man, most likely a very tired one — who has made mistakes, no doubt — but has undoubtedly been through the wringer in his life. The President has had enough, and he has finally admitted it.

The problem with Biden’s latest campaign is that he was neither here nor there. He was somewhat psychologically absent in the whole process while his opponent was formidably present, dodging legal bullets and literal bullets like nobody’s business. The greatest difference between Biden and Trump is not necessarily in their political philosophies, but in their conviction.

Contrary to common belief, gaining respect has less to do with outer success, and more to do with inner conviction. In a presidential race, akin to any meaningful endeavor in life, directional conviction is paramount. Either fully commit yourself to a cause, a passion, a feeling, a job, a partner, a dream — or do not engage at all. Either do it wholeheartedly or do not do it at all. Everything in between is tantamount to ambiguity. And nothing ambiguous has ever garnered any respect.