What Miracle on 34th Street Taught Me About How People Decide Things

Do You Believe in Santa—or Just in Rules?

My husband loves old Christmas movies, especially the black-and-white Miracle on 34th Street. I don’t object to it, but let’s say I don’t feel the need to recite it line by line. So he watches it while I’m doing something useful—like rearranging the kitchen drawers for the 500th time.

This year, I wandered through the living room just in time to hear the courtroom scene where Judge Henry X. Harper debates whether Kris Kringle should be committed to a mental institution because he insists he’s Santa Claus.

His wife warns him this might not be the smartest plan, and he responds, “It’s the right thing to do. I have to uphold the law.”

And suddenly I thought: Oh, this is a perfect example of how different people make decisions.

Two Very Different Ways of Thinking

Judge Harper sees the situation like this:

• The report says Kris isn’t mentally fit.

• The law is the law.

• End of story.

He’s not being mean; he’s making a rule-based decision. Someone has to keep society from turning into a giant holiday parade where everyone does whatever they want.

Then you have the others: the defense lawyer, the judge’s wife, and the executives at Macy’s who suddenly realize this case might torpedo both Christmas and their profits. They’re all thinking:

• What about the kids?

• What about tradition?

• What about the magic?

• Also, what about Macy’s sales numbers? (Let’s be honest.)

Same situation. Completely different approach to deciding what to do.

And Then There’s Maureen O’Hara

Her character wants her daughter to be sensible: no wishful thinking, no imaginary men in red suits, no trauma when she suddenly realizes the truth.

I get it. She’s trying to parent with logic.

I, However, Have Feelings About This

When the prosecutor argues Kris should be committed, my brain screams:“But what about the holiday spirit, bringing joy to the children? Does it hurt to bring a bit of imagination and fantasy into everyone’s lives?”

I can’t help wondering:

• Do rule-following people watch this scene and think, “These people defending Kris are completely irresponsible”?

• Do imaginative people want to shake the judge until he sees the bigger picture?

• Do some people just eat popcorn and enjoy the story without a single emotional outburst?

A Tiny Lesson Wrapped in Tinsel

What I love about Miracle on 34th Street is that it reminds us why we sometimes clash with people who don’t see the world, or the holidays, the same way we do.

Some folks lead with rules. Some lead with possibilities. Some lead with heart. Some lead with logic. And some try to blend all of these to make a balanced decision.

And all of us are convinced our way makes perfect sense.

Maybe that’s why this old movie still resonates: It's not only about believing in Santa Claus. It’s about understanding each other, even when we disagree on whether the bearded man at Macy’s should be institutionalized.