John Stewart wrote:
> The intangibles of
> character, honesty, and integrity are very important to the PERSONAL and
> PUBLIC side. There is no separating them; they are mutually dependent.
I wrote:
> I can't quite imagine someone rising that high in politics while
> maintaining those three character traits. It takes a lot of
> manipulation, lying, and twisting of the facts to get there...whether
> the person is aware of it or not (I think self-deception is the key to
> maintaining at least the idea that these three traits are being adhered
> to).
Peter wrote:
> > I don't believe that everyone has something to hide. I don't believe
> > that everyone has done bad things. I don't believe that everyone has
> > to be bad to succeed; if I believed that then I believe I would have
> > to change the system or get out of it.
> > And where is the leadership??? Were I a politician I would demand
> > Clinton's resignation. I believe the cup is half-full. I believe
> > that a Mr Smith could go to Washington. It is time for the Mr.
> > Smiths to stand up and be counted.Javilk wrote:
Javilk wrote:
> Yes! The only reason we don't have decency in government, is because
> we do not demand decency of ourselves.
>
> One thing I learned about life, mostly by watching others, is that if
> you don't strive for decency in yourself, you won't expect it of others.
> And in life, you seldom get more than you expect. Others soon see your
> bargain points, take their profits, and deal with others when they need
> better.
My point is that people have broad-ranging opinions on what "decency" is, or
what is "bad"...which effects their opinion when judging someone else's
"honesty and integrity". As a result, when up against a foe, anyone can have
a glass house (or "something to hide"). It's how the foe acts, what they try
to turn into a glass house, and who agrees with them that partially
determines the outcome.
And regarding my comment "I think self-deception is the key to maintaining
at least the idea that these three traits are being adhered to". I know
people who are in the political game. Their political pursuits inherently
involve taking a point and sticking to it, sometimes in the name of a
"platform" or "party line", and (as reality stands today) their political
success is partially determined by "sticking to their guns" in the face of
opposition. This can involve concessions that may go against one's
integrity, but they are rationalized as "tradeoffs" or a means to a "greater
good". The rationalization process often looks like "self-deception" to me.
Indeed, the rationalization process can become completely transparent to a
person, causing them to think that their "decency, honesty and integrity"
are intact, when in fact the many concessions they have made along the way
have left, perhaps, only their "goals" intact.
That's in "politics", which I think functions differently than business. In
business you're more easily able to maintain your "decency, honesty and
integrity", if you want to, because the pressures are different, your goals
can be repositioned and it's easier to walk away from things and people you
don't agree with. Same thing *could* be said about a politician, but the
political system isn't as much of an "entrepenuerial" system as business is.
Jack
(Why aren't I doing the Photoshop stuff I should be doing?)
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