John Robbins embodies the primary foundation of compassion – self love. He is called “the man who walked away from Baskin Robbins”. The son of Irv Robbins, the co-founder of the largest ice cream company in the world, John was the heir to the dynasty, but he exchanged it for a life of self exploration and service.
A 12 year old during the depression, Irv’s life was about security. He stated his religion was capitalism: God was in his wallet. He distanced himself from emotion, especially love of family. For instance, he arranged to be out of town on business during the births of his three children. He said he didn’t want to get sucked into it if something went wrong.
As success hit and Irv moved the family to North Hollywood, he became enamored with wealth and power. A staunch supporter and generous donor to the Republican Party, he was friends with high level businessmen and politicians. He was considered for the US Presidential candidacy.
Yet his son felt lonely and isolated. John said his only solace was his black cat, Licorice, that he cherished. She came when he cried and licked his ears. When Licorice was discovered in his room, it was banned from the house. So John cut his window screen to let her in. He screen was replaced. In a silently defiant battle to keep his only friend, John recut the screen, It was replaced, recut. replaced, recut. Until John went way to college – when Licorice disappeared.
John wanted time with his dad, which meant adopting capitalism and working at the company. Starting as a youth emptying trash cans, he moved up with age appropriate tasks. But when he visited a dairy with his dad and saw the conditions the cows lived in, he was shocked. The dairy didn’t match the idyllic pictures of cows in pastures that adorned the walls of the ice cream stores. His dad refused to discuss it with him, and put him down for even asking about animals. This started his turn away from the religion of capitalism, and began his interest in debate, which he mastered.
John began straddling two worlds – watching his father’s friend, Richard Nixon, come and go from the house, discussing power politics — while reading alternative subjects: essays on self reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, I Have A Dream speech by Martin Luther King, Jr… Having seen the inhumane treatment of the “colored help” in his home, he wanted to go the South to work with MLK and his group. When his dad angrily forbad it, he made a life choice and sneaked out. Rewarded with a ten minute private conversation with MLK in 1967, his world shifted completely.
REFLECT:
Have you ever straddled two worlds?
Are you doing it now?
After the MLK assassination, John decided he couldn’t be a part of Baskin Robbins – the business or the family. He didn’t want to be a rich kid: he wanted to be of service from his heart. He signed over all his assets: trust fund, stock, right of inheritance… He chose to attend Berkeley over the Ivy League schools offering him a full scholarship to be on the debate team. To make it work, he washed dishes in the dorm 20 hours a week. To others, he was just another struggling college kid.
In college, he met Gail, the love of his life. They bought land on a Canadian Island, moved to the wilderness, built a one room log cabin, and began subsistence living. Barely surviving one harsh winter, they persisted, figuring out wilderness living as they went. They ate what they grew in the garden. John knew the natural world was healing him, restoring him on all levels – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He mastered meditation and yoga, and experienced dramatic changes in his health. He began studying health and diet.
The outcome was a two year project – writing his book, Diet for a New America – which became the foundational work on plant based diet and health. After years of no contact with his father, he called to announce the good news that he had written a book, to which his father replied curtly before hanging up, “What could be good news coming from you?”
As the book gained readership and press attention, John was called on to be part of the “revolution” for a healthier America. With his family, he left his wilderness home in Canada and returned to the US. He was dubbed a “rebel without a cone”, speaking out / advocating for public health, animal rights, and environmental protection. His old debating skills paid off when he was on an NPR debate with the Cattleman’s Association and won over his opponent!
Continuing his lifestyle, his father developed heart disease and diabetes and was considered to be terminally ill. Then during a routine doctor visit, the physician suggested he read a book – and gave him Diet for a New America, not knowing his son was the author. Miraculously, Irv read it, changed his lifestyle and regained his health.
With loving compassion, John invited his father into his life, and Irv became a participating grandfather.
At one point, he told John, “Thank God you followed your own star, even though I put every obstacle in your way!”
APPLY:
What “star” could you follow despite obstacles to become more loving and compassionate?
Create action steps to do it.
Love Over Money, a documentary film, 2024, Netflix and streaming.
