Here you won't find the pages of a pedantic journal, praises to fantastic places or accounts of memorable encounters. This is a collection of stories, thoughts, images, and most of all odd stuff, even though to someone else it might actually look ordinary. To discern its bizarre side, in fact, special filters are needed: cynicism, fussiness, stubbornness, isolation, impudence, nosiness and nerdiness. All flaws that, in different measure, this semi-nomadic being has got embedded in his genes.
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
In praise of sincerity - Montesquieu
In this little book, as the title suggests, Montesquieu praises sincerity as a virtue. This is done at two different levels.
In private life sincerity is advised as opposed to indulgence. A real and useful friendship should always be based on absolute honesty, even when this leads to conflicts with personal pride, or especially when that happens.
In public affairs the leading figures should always be surrounded by honest advisors, rather than cynical adulators. This will not only benefit the leaders themselves but the organizations over which they preside as a whole. A beautiful example offered by the author is that of a group of mandarins that were tortured to death for being bold enough to tell the Chinese emperor the painful truth.
An old book carrying a message that is still extremely valuable today, at both the aforementioned levels.
Labels:
books,
french,
friendship,
leadership,
literature,
philosophy,
politics,
sincerity
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment