"Rivers and men can be controlled, but cannot be
trusted" means that one can manipulate rivers and men to do certain
things, but cannot keep dominance over their natural instincts. Machiavelli
believed that men could be controlled through the fear of punishment, but no
one wants to feel entirely managed by someone else. People prefer to feel in
control of their own thoughts, actions, and life. If I was constantly
restricted through fear, I would try to escape the control, so consequently the
controller could not trust in his power of force. This means that the
controller - or Prince, in the text - could never feel comfortable because of
the constant fear of loss of power.
Many leaders in the modern world share Machiavelli's view on leadership, and believe that the ends justifies the means. These leaders or entrepreneurs use success as an excuse for unethical and manipulative behavior.
Afraid of How Much They Love Me
Michael Scott's views on leadership are classic. Excellent choice!! Next time try to make specific references to the text to support your argument. Also, consider this: what happens when you dam a large river? Whether it's a beaver or the Hoover Dam... is the dam sufficient to be left unattended for a long period of time, or does it require constant vigilance and repair? What if the river in this case is the population, and the dam is government control? Or... fear, for that matter? Something to think about
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna be honest, I only read it for the Steve Carell video. But I'm glad I did ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat answer and great video! Your thoughts on fear, love and power were really interesting and I enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that people in control are constantly haunted by the fear of losing it. Your interpretation of Machiavelli's quote includes the analysis of the psychology of both the controller and the subjects, which is really comprehensive from my point of view. I really enjoy reading it!
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