posted
"The best rulers are scarcely known by their subjects; The next best are loved and praised; The next are feared; The next despised: They have no faith in their people, And their people become unfaithful to them.
When the best rulers achieve their purpose Their subjects claim the achievement as their own."
when isn't this true? How does this apply to, say, your life experiences? politics? Discuss.
I've been wanting to make this thread for months.
Posts: 3354 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Sometimes you *have* to use the bully pulpit -- and you have to reassure the public you're on top of things. That is, you have to be Winston Churchill.
Other times, you can be Eisenhower. We didn't end up with a slew of babies named Dwight or Eisenhower (unlike all the Roosevelts we got some 20 years earlier), but the country did well under him. Coolidge, too.
I think it might be the circumstances. When there's a major disaster being perceived, let them love you and back you. At other times, you can work quietly to prevent the major disaster.
First pass, anyway.
At work, I like best those managers who protect us from paperwork, mollify administrators, and let us do our jobs.
Posts: 1877 | Registered: Apr 2005
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The best Evangelists are scarcely known by their converts; The next best are loved and praised; The next are feared; The next despised: They have no faith in the people, And the people do not come to their faith.
By Evangelist, I mean a spreader of any religion, and the protector of the faith of any faith.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
I see this as applying better to small groups or at least smaller kingdoms. Back when this was originally written I think it was perfectly true, and for a long time after.
It's still partly true, but when your government involves millions of people working in the bureaucracy it's a little different from a kingdom with a handful of nobles etc.
I would say it may or may not be true of things such as the presidency, but isn't that useful, while it could be quite useful for say a colonel in the army...
basically, replace "ruler" with "leader" and you're good to go
Posts: 1038 | Registered: Feb 2006
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