kings

[danceswithwaves]

In a procrastination moment from writing my sociology essay, I started A Clash of Kings, which has been waiting on my bookshelf for a free moment.  A piece of the prologue led to a short thought:

Those who want a crown should not have one.*  And yet, and yet, isn't that what we do for presidents?  Give the job to someone who wants it?  But we hedge

Comments

[sartorias]

That's the conundrum, is it not? Those who want to lead...usually shouldn't?

One can say, well, examine their motivations. Do they want to lead for selfish reasons, or for altruism? If the answer is the latter, where do you fit in Savanarola and Oliver Cromwell?

[danceswithwaves]

Exactly! Or what if they want to lead for selfish reasons, but they'll be good at it anyways? Or what if they don't want to "lead" per se, but have these ideas they want to see/help happen -- is that selfish, altruistic, or neither? (Because then what one person considers altruism the majority of society may think is a really bad idea.)