Wen Tzu - Verse 129, Part I

from Verse One Hundred Twenty-Nine

Leaders who want to govern are rare; ministers worthy of participation in government are virtually nonexistent. The rare seek the virtually nonexistent; this is the reason perfect government is hardly seen in a thousand years.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

I run into a problem every election season -- trying to choose which non-leader to vote for. In my estimation, most people who run for office do so for the wrong reasons: fame, status, wealth and power. I know most of them say they do it because of their desire for public service, but I don't buy it.

In my book, the most qualified leaders generally are individuals who would never dream of a career in politics. They are the kind of souls who simply wouldn't be interested in getting caught up in the meat grinder that politics and governing entails.

Conversely, most of the folks who run for political office and have a viable shot of winning WANT to land square in the meat grinder. Of course, each one envisions that he or she will be turning the crank, not the ones being chewed up and spit out in a mangled heap.

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.