Gerhard Uhlenbruck – DoctorsTalents

Uhlenbruck’s family wasn’t supposed to know that their Gerd was running, because to them he was ill (sarcoidosis). So he chose Urbach’s GSV Porz, a slightly out-of-town club, as his club. He has completed 36 marathons and a 100km race, which he ran on his birthday. Twice he finished the 42.195km in the age group 70. His personal best of 3:18 hours is astonishing considering his lung history. Once (1984), he even became German Marathon Champion for cross-country doctors and pharmacists. He demonstrated athletic versatility by taking runner-up titles for cycling doctors, both in the road and time trial categories.

From Reader to Writer

“The aphorism condenses the quintessence of an experience into the sentence of an insight.”

During his hospital stay, Gerhard Uhlenbruck wanted to set himself a task to combat giving up, not only physically; he sought a challenge for body and mind. While he gained physical fitness with his “therapy of small steps,” he kept himself mentally fit with a “therapy of small sentences.” He began writing poems, exploring “life, love, and the love of life.” They were published in 1975 under the pseudonym Gerhard Günther (“Not Forever”).

Subsequently, he presented himself entirely as an aphorist. The number of his “rich fragments of thought” has risen astronomically over the decades. Whether medical aphorisms or sports aphorisms, with which he launched a new genre, Uhlenbruck was not only the most prolific writer of this genre, but also impressed with his quality and originality. “An insightful understanding of human nature emerges everywhere, which, despite all social criticism, does not result in cynicism or pessimism, but rather expresses hope for a better order of this fragile world” (Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Mieder).

Dozens of volumes of his aphorisms have been published since 1977, including “An Educated Sick Person,” “Blows to One’s Neighbor,” and “The Smarter One Doesn’t Give Up.” His flashes of inspiration, thought-provoking ideas, and observations can be found in satirical and specialist magazines, on calendar pages, and in illustrated books. H.-H. alone contains 1,000 volumes of aphorisms. Skupys’ “The Complete Handbook of Quotations from A to Z” (2004) included over 300 of his witty remarks. In recognition, the Narrenakademie (Fools’ Academy) in Dülken awarded him the title of “Dr. humoris causa” in 2001. The German Aphorism Archive in Hattingen elected him its honorary chairman. Finally, in 2017, he was awarded the Lehrer-Welsch Language Prize for Literature in Cologne.

Uhlenbruck also addressed running in countless aphorisms. It’s difficult to choose just one. “In the end, a marathon just drags on and on,” might particularly appeal to marathon runners. Running therapists might appreciate the following statements: “Running as therapy: What moves you internally can be processed through external movement.” “Running is psychotherapy without psychotherapists – with the help of your legs.” Or: “Running is the only therapy that costs nothing, except time! A one-person company like the AOK: Everything free of charge!”

Like running, for Uhlenbruck, laughter was medicine, a stress reliever, and an immune fitness booster. And because his interest in humor knew no bounds, he participated, whenever his time permitted, in an amateur drama group at the adult education center (VHS) and in the book project “Humor as Cologne Philosophy” (Cologne 2003). He also spoke perfect Cologne dialect.

Athletic Awards

Uhlenbruck began his athletic career in high school, first as a boxer, then as a runner. He was:

German Physicians’ Marathon Champion
German Physicians’ Cycling Runner-up (road race & time trial).

Citations of his Aphorisms (naturally in German):

Manche halten einen ausgefüllten Terminkalender für ein ausgefülltes Leben.
Zeitungsenten bringen die Leser zum Schnattern.
Die ungeschminkte Wahrheit bringt immer Farbe ins Gesicht.
Wenn man Spaß an einer Sache hat, dann nimmt man sie auch ernst.
Frisch gesagt ist halb gewonnen.
Wir sind alles Nichtsnutze, das heißt, wir tun nichts, was uns nichts nützt.
Neidhammel = Ehrgeizige Schafe.
Man empfindet es oft als ungerecht, daß Menschen, die Stroh im Kopf haben, auch noch Geld wie Heu besitzen.
Inzwischen wissen wir, was uns noch blüht – nämlich immer weniger!
Das wirklich Rührende an der Liebe ist der Kochlöffel.
Karrieristen = Leute, welche andere vor ihren Karren spannen.
Auf dem Gipfel des Erfolgs steht auch ein Kreuz: für die Leichen, über die man gegangen ist. (Als Betriebsrat/Sozialpolitiker/Manager wissen Sie, wovon ich rede. Von der Rücksichtslosigkeit. Vom Egoismus. Als Christ sage ich: Wer sich so verhält, kann kein Christ sein. Denn das Christentum kreist im Kern um den einen Satz, der da lautet: “Liebe deinen Nächsten wie dich selbst!”)
An Karneval maskiert man sich, damit man die Maske fallen lassen kann.
Unsere Leistungsgesellschaft ist nicht eine Gesellschaft, in der nur Leistung gilt, sondern eine, welche bestimmt, was Leistung ist und wer sie leisten darf.
Manches wäre anders in der Welt, wenn man an manchen Dingen nichts verdienen würde.
Fanatiker lassen sich schon aus Überzeugung nicht überzeugen.
Ehrgeiz schafft viel, sogar einen selbst.
Sein Pferdefuß bestand darin, daß er nicht beschlagen war.
Wir sind ein Volk der Denker, denn wir denken immer daran, was andere wohl von uns denken.
Eine Änderung des Bewußtseins verändert unbewußt auch das Sein.
Guter Rat ist teuer, schlechter Rat kann teuer zu stehen kommen.
Man muß sich dauernd beherrschen, um die Beherrschung nicht zu verlieren.
Das Geheimnis des Autos: Man ist in seinen eigenen vier Wänden.
Erst haben die Menschen das Atom gespalten, jetzt spaltet das Atom die Menschen.
Aller Anfang ist leicht – wenn man ihn mit dem Ende vergleicht.
Zwischenmenschliche Beziehungen sind “mit Abstand” die besten.