The problem with leadership in the world as I see it, at least in America, is that although people may graduate from high school, some people never actually leave it. The adolescent attitudes of high school permeate the adult world far more than I expected or like. The petty, shallow, vapid, and false fronts of that stage continue to parade a company of players into our lives, most of whom are playing you for a fool. They are not the best, the wisest, or people who know how to move forward. They think they are experts, but they were poorly educated, mostly with propaganda, and so there is a great dearth of understanding between what they believe and what is real. It's really a case study in pavlovian logic, that these pretty people are actually petty and think that they are enlightened but other people are dumb, deluded, and deceived. That's usually the case with young people, most of whom are out there absolutely atwitter that Hillary got Trumped. The problem is when they never actually grow up because it tends to mess up the world for those who do.
In high school, the popular kids rose to positions of prominence. How many times have you seen someone, perhaps yourself, cast a vote because you "recognized the name" but knew nothing else about it? Much of the prominence in high school is due to visibility rather than morality, charisma rather than character, and promises rather than prescience. The prom king and queen are usually both known, both attractive, and both magnetic personalities. In some rare cases there are notable exceptions, but only because the "beautiful people" and "important people" band together to make it so. Unless you are one of their MyFaves, you don't stand a chance in the pecking order of high school. These people in adulthood continue to maintain the misbegotten notion that worth is tied to titles, power, and influence, and consequently they seek after these things in professional capacities in order to reassure themselves that people still like, adore, and need them. They crave POWER. They love how once they get into leadership positions that people bow to them, fawn over them, and depend on them. Empty and vacuous, these people enter politics and leadership in an attempt to relive the glory days and feel better because they secretly loathe themselves. If you look at many of the best leaders in history, they were people who took charge because of necessity rather than true desire. The best people in high school do not enter student government, become cheerleaders, etc., as a rule, because they are busy preparing in high school to be successful elsewhere. If the need arises, in the moment, these beta personalities will rise up and take charge, but then they go right back to what they truly love as soon as possible because they do not depend on validation.
Back in high school, the powerful kids did so because they had nothing else to offer except as a figurehead, a mascot, and a beacon. Especially in light of yesterday's election results, how many of those candidates are the most moral, the most capable, and the most desireable? In point of fact, candidates of both parties are actually morally bankrupt, intellectually bereft, and lacking sorely in actual achievements. Sure, they may be rich and famous, but so what? There are lots of rich people and lots of famous people who make very little difference in your life at sidewalk level. Most of what they offered in high school to gain fame and position was and is fake. Their wealth usually came from wealthy parents. They bought friendships with fancy cars, lavish parties, gifts, and physical intimacy. The cool kids only talked to me when they needed something, usually hoping to copy off my homework or get free tutoring once they realized they didn't even have to sleep with me to get my help. Far too many of these people peak early and fade away, and you know the cliche of how the cool kids at the 20 year reunion are hardly recognizable let alone laudable, because that was their glory period.
Young people were insufferable know-it-alls back then and continue to be so in adulthood if they don't leave high school. It amazes me when a former cheerleader knows everything about everything when they barely made it to graduation. It amazes me that jocks are experts because they are rich or hot. They don't know anything, but people turn to celebrities for answers and perspective because they are known and not because they are credentialed. You know the aphorism: "Hurry and move out while you still know everything", but these adults still think they know all the answers. So much of this comes in false premise, logical fallacy, and outright deceit from the people to whom they look up. They really believe the tripe they feed each other about the rosy outcomes that MIGHT be. They truly believe that tyranny leads to liberty because their leaders say so. They are always right about everything, and so these naive people, inflamed with hope and ignorant of human nature, presume the best and make no provision for the worst. They think that if they change human behavior it will change human nature. They may know a great deal about their specific area of expertise, since they work in some field, but they presume expertise in related, tagiential, and unrelated areas, and they cannot be turned because they do not learn. When men are learned, they think they are wise and do not hearken to other counsels and dissenting opinions. In many cases, although the beautiful people in high school of yesteryear do things for power and advancement, they think that adults do not care about money or titles or rewards when adults say that. Nevermind that they don't believe that when their own parents say that. They're in love with "grandpa bernie". They actually think that their leaders give a flying pinwheel about them. They can't; they don't know you. Their kindness is largely imaginary, but their hatred towards their opponents is fully real, despite the theater we saw today from the "gracious" concession to Trump. They are ignorant of history and don't want to know about what happened before they are born, so the history they believe becomes canonical, and in many cases, in order to justify their own hatred, they link modern events to historical ones, imbibed with hatred to rationalize the caricatures they create. They hate homework, so they don't do any legwork to find out anything besides what they are told is so. Their leaders spoonfeed them hogwash, and the parliament jester's foist works on this somnambulent public. Terry Goodkind wrote in "Wizard's First Rule" that people will believe a lie for one of two reasons. In the first part, they believe it because they hope it's true. Young people the things their candidates and leaders say will happen, often without regard for the integrity of those making the promises or without introspect into their past proclivities to keep promises. On the second hand, people believe lies they fear might be true. Young people believe the fearmongering their side uses in caricature to slander and libel their opponents because they believe in their guys. It's perfectly normal. You like who you like, and you don't really know if you like other people.
While young people fear the "tyranny of the right" they busy themselves imposing their will on the right, and on everyone really. They do precisely to others what they claim those others do to them. Our young people may be the future, but only if they grow up. Far too many of them still live in and venerate the laws of the jungle that apply in high school, and we continue to pay the price for it. Our leaders aren't wiser; they're prettier. Our leaders aren't better; they're vacuous. Our leaders don't learn; they assume. They exist in both parties, and this adolescent attitude is my major critique against most candidates who do not live in the real world but hold on tightly to vestiges of the fairy tale land that established expectations in their youth. The only way to arrive at a good outcome is to admit where you really are, and only when they live in the real world.
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