Unlike great thinkers and great artists, the most effective political leaders must often yield to public opinion and abandon principle for the sake of compromise.
不同于偉大的思想家和藝術(shù)家,最杰出的政治領(lǐng)袖通常都必須為了妥協(xié)而屈從于大眾的意見(jiàn)并且放棄原則。
正文:
With the respect of history, today’s democratic structure of politic roots deeply in ancient Greek philosophers’ advocation for the respect of public and individual beings,their admiration of the egalitarian, and the eagerness for justice as well as the electoral system specially devised to surpvise those in power. The Renaissance taking place in Europe and the democratic Revolution booted up by Napoleon in France both have produced great thinkers who demand the restriction of the politicians’ power and authority, labeling the end of an era in which politicians could lay their hands on almost every objects of demand. Driven by this trend, the contemporary politicians ostensibly deprived of certain freedom enjoyed by most artists and scientists could no longer behave in the way they would like to. These people, taking the responsibility of the democratic government, are restrained from several aspects. These restriction mainly comes from the public’s desire and different groups’ attitudes.
Although being neglected sometimes, the artists and the scientists still adhere to their own responsibilities, appear undisturbed and display astonishing indifference to the public. Such right is deserved as to artists and scientists, since their insightful thoughts and complicated feeling about life far go beyond what normal people may achieve.Frustrated and deterred by these maestros, publics turn to the other extreme—ignoring these great thinkers and even cursing them as heretics that destroy the current harmony. Again, scientists and artists enjoy the freedom to obliterate the influence laid on them by the mundane world since their interests are just focused on the exploration of the purity of the truth and reciprocating the perfect memory of the past or wonderful visions about future, rather than caring for the public’s benefits.
During such process, they just jump out of the world and objectively describe it, any scorns or restrictions are treated as part of the object they are proceeding, and this is just the hits of their successes. Sometimes, certain behavior that even force the community members away from communicating with these elites are taken as pride in that artists and scientists could employ their free time to continue their interest.
On the other hand, never would the politician own such comparatively broad freedom. As for a politician, the key to success in politics is to gain and maintain political power.Such power comes from certain identification of the public morality with the politician’s private one and the balance of different groups’ benefits and demands. Consequently,the politician’s attitudes, behavior and even the life style are tightly restricted for fear that any diversion from public’s taste may conduce to losing authority which is a real tragedy for a politician. To be an effective political leader excludes the opportunity that a politician may taste the freedom of the same merits as that enjoyed by artists and scientists, the freedom characterd by consciously seperating oneself from commentary and neglecting the demands made by majority. The successful leadership could be achieved by submerging oneself into the public and being sufficiently prepared for sacrificing some freedom for the majority’s benefits.
It is always funny to imagine what will happen to a special politician who could share a scientist or an artist’s freedom. When this politician is bored at the legitimate meeting that is being broadcast by media agencies, he escape to have a chess with his child.Subsequently, critics begin to accumulate the dissatisfaction of the public to attack this leader’s lacking responsibility of the public affairs. Moreover, he may again utilize the freedom to isolate himself from the public pressure by flying out to have a summer holiday. Then, only one thing can be assured, our special politician is deprived of the right to initiate his power which is a symbol of the end of his political life.
The development of technology and recognition of our society require both politicians and insightful thinkers. However, the democratic system of our contemporary world fixes two distinct sets of freedom that could enjoyed by them. While we agree that artists and scientists enjoy the comparatively broad one, we can not expect the political leaders to have opportunity to taste it.