Politics: an art or a born talent?
Politics; The study of power
Politics is the study and exertion of a special kind of power. It is a kind of power and influence that human beings exert over one another. It is a type of force that has no physical weight but has a force nonetheless, that might be even stronger than any physical blow in capable hands. It might be best defined as the use of social power within a circle of restraints. The skill to understand the nature of those constraints and to work within the circle to reach for what is beyond, is both a skill and an art.
A weapon or a tool?
A gun may be powerful and intimidating, but without a bullet, it’s just an object with no power and purpose. The same can be said for human beings. In politics, you are the gun and your wit and words are the bullet. Some people are born with this bullet handed to them and some have to struggle to acquire it. But at the end of the day, those who know how to make proper use of the resources at their disposal and how to acquire those that are not, are the ones who get to survive in a competitive political environment. In another words, if you don’t have what it takes to aim and shoot, you might just end up being the target yourself.
In the wrong hands it has the potential to be formidable weapon but in capable hands it is a tool that can be used as a means to reform society. Whether it be a weapon or tool, depends entirely on whose hands it is in. It takes the form of its users’ intentions.
What makes a successful politician?
Politics is a discipline. It requires one to ask questions, seek answers, to know the value of power and the weight of it in your hands, to know who should have it and when to exercise it, in which conditions and what method. Is it important for your principles to be fair or effective? It is a discipline that requires you to have balance and know your own footing. It requires the ability to charm people who don’t necessarily agree with them and sway their opinions. If one does not know how to anticipate and plan ahead, or does not have the patience or fervor to stick to the principles and standards that have been set for themselves, the unforgiving waves of a constantly changing political ocean, might result in their ship sinking to the very bottom.
Politics and power struggles have been around since the dawn of humanity but politics as a skill to be acquired and utilized consciously emerged from ancient Greece. Aristotle, a towering figure of ancient Greek philosophy had many contributions to the study of politics. One of his famous lines was;
“Man is a political animal.”
By saying this he meant that it is in human nature to desire to live in societies and exert power over one another, but how one goes about utilizing it is entirely up to them.
Is this an art or are you just born a prodigy?
Politics is the art of getting what you want. It is a skill that is balanced between innate aptitude and an aptitude gained through time and effort. While an art for this trade is earned by experience, observation, creative thinking and the ability to apply them, An inborn talent is when you are naturally good at dealing with people;Able to use persuasive speech and mould your actions to get an outcome most in your favor.
Politics is, at its core, “The art of getting what you want”. An inborn talent might get you to a certain level but unless you’ve put in the necessary field work, dedication and learnt through trial and error for what works and what doesn’t, that level is where one will remain.
The artist and then the prodigy.
Art and talent are both essential, but one will always trump the other, since without the knowledge of how to stay in the game, where or how you started won’t be of much assistance. Political savvy doesn’t come easy.
A political expert has a great understanding of the realities that surround him and knows how to work around them. Political savvy is not a trait, it’s a skill. The ability you use that skill, without compromising integrity, is what makes it an art.
What it takes to be politically savvy
Paying attention. Knowing your position and surroundings. Noticing the things that most would overlook. Recognising the intricacies and creating your own.
At the very crux of it, it’s simply having a deep understanding of empathy and communication. Political savvy is not about being political. It’s about being able to navigate a complex labyrinth of conflicts, rivalries, prejudice and hostility. An individual well versed in this art knows how to build relationships, reduce conflict all the while building reputation. The bottom line is that this art is something that is learnt and earned.
“Time is mans greatest teacher.”
What makes a good politician; Morality vs Means.
It’s an age old argument. It has become a prominent characteristic belief of our society, that as long as your intent is pure, the actions you take to get there are excusable. But there goes a saying that
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
In this trade, “the end justifying the means” argument is a prominent staple. Politicians recycle and reuse this philosophy as if it were a family heirloom passes down from generation to generation. In a sense, it is exactly like that . Taking in apprentices and teaching them trade secrets, this staple too has been passed down from generation to generation. Using this philosophy they have managed to exploit the less privileged and have gradually corrupted what good intentions they started with. It is a disease and like any disease, it keeps spreading until it has morphed you into something unrecognisable.
“The strong do what they may, the weak suffer what they must.”
In the end, why the means hold such importance is because the path one takes to get where we want shapes the individual. It’s the journey there that tells the person about their character and shapes them. It shapes the persons motivations and creates who they will become. It is important for us to not forget morality and ethics on the road paved with good intentions, for it is what defines us as humans.