The Sublime Roundabout

...in which I attempt to identify some of the major characteristics of leaders. Or maybe just one. We'll see. Motivation is an interesting thing. We are all bidden occasionally to do things we would rather not. These tasks range from the mundane (laundry, bathroom cleaning, etc) to the extraordinary (military service comes to mind...). But there is an internal battle that takes place where one's character is put to the test. These battles are things that most will not see, but will nonetheless impact the shape of a person's life in very real ways. As I've mentioned before, my son and I have had lengthy and repeated conversations (he'd probably call them lectures) about what motivates people to do things. On (what I would consider to be) the lowest level, there is the slave. The slave performs due to fear of retribution. The only investment in the work comes as the master forces through fear of intimidation, loss of privilege or freedom, or even violence. Regardless,...

...just because you haven't seen something that no one else has, either. (Is seeing really believing, anyway?) ...just because you cannot comprehend something means it's incomprehensible. (No one is that smart. Get over yourself.) ...that your experience is any more valid than any one else's. (Life is an amazing array of diversity and complexity. Knowing other's point of view can help broaden horizons and add to one's base of understanding.) ...that you alone possess all truth. (There is One who knows all. He will tell you if you ask.) ...that God owes you anything. (He doesn't.) ...that those who believe in something are being deceived. (How do you know it's not YOU who's being deceived?) ...that because you are not being intellectually stimulated everything is boring or dull. (Whose responsibility is it to stimulate you, anyway?) ...that you have the best taste in everything. (Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Those with...

...in which leadership qualities are explored. I recently heard an interesting exploration about leadership and anarchy. A link can be found here: http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2292.htm .It is from a series on science called "Engines of Our Ingenuity" and is put out by the University of Houston. The article discusses a recently attended concert where the musicians, who know each other professionally and sometimes for many years, come together in an ad-hoc kind of way to produce concerts. This is not an organization of people done by a conductor or other benefactor - it's by a group of people who gather and say - hey, let's do Mozart. And they do. His point is that without a conductor, there's no lead dog. There's no one who is the titular head of the group - each musician esteems and respects each other as his or her equal. There is no need for competition, only creative expression. He decries the excessive scrabbling for attention that often accompanies compet...

A few brave young adults signed up for the class. They were told that he class would be difficult and exacting. The teacher they knew - he could be a real stickler for the rules. To make matters worse, the class was held during the summer when many of their other classmates were out enjoying the gorgeous weather. But their time would not be spent enjoying the activities or the weather - they would be spent knuckling down to their studies. There was a very strict requirement for study and the work load was a beast. All of this was on the catalog when they signed up. Yet it filled a requirement they had for the desired course, so they signed up. Almost immediately people dropped out. They could not hack it. The course work WAS demanding, and the fun their friends were having seemed irresistible. More came occasionally, on days when it was rainy or when they were bored or there was nothing else going on. They were aware of some assignments as they were due, and were there for some pop qui...