The more powerful we are, the more modest we should be. Sometimes I question some forms of humanity. I truly cannot understand how violence of any form will lead me to a better communion with God. My perspective, of course, comes from a person who is enfranchised in the world, quite well educated, and traveled. I have not been exposed to the demons that sour an individual’s view of life and, more importantly, hope. In one of our classes recently I asked how we can understand spiritual and physical despondency if we have never experienced this range of feelings in our lives. My students were stone-faced and could present no answers. One rather clever man, however, suggested that the solution lay in the art of modesty, which adumbrated respectful dialogue.

With that thought in mind, one of the most meaningful of political relationships has to be the role of the emissary or ambassador. The qualities of this unique kind of individual are too numerous to list. An excellent example of such a person who dealt in the world of realpolitik, (1) was Prince Klemens von Metternich (1773-1859).

Historically, he is viewed as one of the most important diplomats of the early 19th century. He served as the Austrian Empire’s Foreign Minister from 1809 and then as Chancellor (2) from 1821 until the revolutions of 1848 (3) – when his perceived repression mandated his resignation. He went into exile in England, eventually returning to the Viennese court in 1851. He was then given an advisory position to Ferdinand’s successor, Franz Josef. Having outlived his contemporaries, Metternich died at the age of 86 in 1859. He is credited with bringing peace to Europe from the Congress of Vienna in 1815 until his death. Our present crop of warmongers should take note.

The great art of critical thinking is often strangely absent in many educated people and this is equally true in world history. One little interesting piece of trivia “fell into my lap” the other day. I have always been perplexed as to how the Romanov dynasty of The Russian Empire suddenly collapsed in 1917 after some 300 years of sovereignty. The easy answer is systemic inertia and corruption. That is nevertheless only half the story. Most Russians, curiously, supported the Tsar. The peasantry, for one, believed that he was a good man surrounded by Machiavellian misanthropes. If they could only speak to him directly, all could be put well and affluence would once again return to Mother Russia. The last emperor, Nicholas II sadly, and rather ridiculously, tossed that belief away. He was crowned in a formal ceremony in 1896. It became an inauspicious event.

By 5 o’clock in the morning on the coronation day, thousands of people had already gathered on Khodynka Field in front of the Tsar’s Pavilion, near Moscow. Amongst the peasantry, hearsay began that the number of coronation gifts of beer, pretzels, and an enamel cup contained a gold coin, amongst others, would be depleted before everyone received one. The throng began a mad rush to the area dispensing the offerings. The security force of some 1,800 policemen could not contain the crowd – panic ensued, and in the crush, and resulting panic almost 1,400 were trampled to death, and around 1,300 were injured. Here began the momentous error. Inexplicably, the royal family did not stop the festivities and immediately declare a period of mourning. It is believed that they did not want to be embarrassed in front of their international guests.

The result of this negligence and dearth of political sophistication – coupled with the human insensitivity of the imperial authorities — caused irreparable public outrage in Russia. “Alea iacta est,” the die had been cast. This was profoundly magnified just seven years later in 1905 on Bloody Sunday (4) when imperial troops shot and killed unarmed petitioners. The seeds of the collapse of the empire had been fully sown – only twelve years remained for the Romanov dynasty. Modesty and true human understanding could have saved the kingdom and prevented the chaos that ensued. The great educator and thinker Robert Maynard Hutchins (5) leaves us with a thought: The objective of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives. (Parts of this article were first published in January 2015.)

A closing thought: It is truly necessary to develop the skills of thinking and reflection with the concept of modesty in mind. This must be “pinned” in the idea of the common good. (6) What should be the ideal way to develop a society? This is a difficult question for we are of individual pursuits and ideas. The best is to follow the Golden Rule of Confucius, to paraphrase, “Do unto others as you would have dealt unto you.” This in turn will, as your personal power grows, enable you to be sensitive to all – even those who have foolish or ill-thought-out ideas.

To sum up: This week we spoke about modesty and how it is an essential ingredient in building a peaceful and loving society.

To be noted: from James Surowieski (7) –When our imperfect judgments are aggregated in the right way, our collective intelligence is often excellent.     
Just for fun: 1,5 Hours Handpan Music – YATAO – Full Concert

For reflection: Impromptu #4 – Infinite potential

This week on your proactive walk, please contemplate the role of education in your life.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.

Quote: The sobriquet “an educated man” is often misplaced and refers to a person who has scholastic aptitude but lacks sensitivity in the world of imagination and ideas: effectively a spiritual dullard.


Footnotes:

1) The German word realpolitik refers to a political system based on practical rather than moral grounds.
2) The chancellor is the head of the government — similar to a prime minister.
3) The Revolutions of 1848 were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. They remain the most widespread revolutionary upheaval in European history, but within a year government forces had regained control, and the revolution collapsed.
4) https://www.britannica.com/event/Bloody-Sunday-Russia-1905
5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maynard_Hutchins
6) What exactly is the Common Good?
7) James Surowiecki: The Power of the Collective