Skip to main content

The Art of the Possible

In this episode, The Art of the Possible . . .

Politics is The Art of The Possible. My first introduction to that statement during a Philosophy class was The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli.

Machiavelli's The Prince, published in 1532, is a political treatise that offers rulers advice on gaining and maintaining power. It is often considered a controversial work due to its candid exploration of the tactics and strategies that can be employed to achieve political success.

Three key themes in The Prince include:

  1. The nature of power: Machiavelli argues that power is essential for political stability and that rulers must be willing to use force and deception to maintain their authority.
  2. The importance of virtue: While Machiavelli acknowledges the importance of virtue, he also emphasizes that rulers must be willing to compromise their moral principles to achieve their goals.
  3. The role of fortune: Machiavelli believed that while human action is essential, fortune also significantly determines political outcomes.

Does all this sound too familiar?

Now, I’m not one to profess a political preference, mainly because throughout my 40 years as an educator, there was always controversy between Republican and Democratic values that, quite frankly, I never took the time to understand. “Leave it to the politicians; mind your own business.” That was my sentiment. My job was to present facts, figures, and formulas to help students learn to think for themselves. What impact would this “small town” boy have on society anyway?

Growing up in a small, Midwestern town in Illinois, we learned about American Independence, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Revolution. We recited the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in grade school and learned the values of honesty, integrity, hard work, and willingness to help our neighbors. My mother and I immigrated from France in 1959, and we were both asked to learn English to fit in with our small rural community.

So, how do you fit in when you barely speak the language? You smile and bring joy to people's lives by finding ways to help them overcome obstacles and challenges. It doesn't need to be earth-shattering. My mother picked apples at the local orchard, cleaned others' homes, and worked in the local grade school as a cook to help provide meals for children. She always minded her own business, primarily out of fear of not being accepted. I shoveled snow, mowed the neighbor's yard, and delivered the local newspaper. By serving the community in our small way, we were welcomed and loved by our neighbors, the extended family she nurtured, and the friends we made over a lifetime of humility, honesty, and dedication.

So, what is the art of the possible? During my time at GIA, my good friend Tawfic Farah, who passed in 2013, stated it this way: “The Prince is about power,” he said, “It’s about walking over people, clawing your way up the ladder, you were in Florence, you saw his tomb - even Machiavelli died, we all will. Power corrupts people. The art of the possible is working with people, finding people you can trust, and allowing them to make mistakes. We all make mistakes. And when we do, never pass the blame; take the responsibility. But, when you do what you love and are given the opportunity to do–silently, quietly, with integrity and no fanfare, you will discover the art of the possible.

In 2024, we can choose how we move forward as a people. I’m not telling anyone how to vote; that’s not my place or anyone’s place. I’m asking you what your values are and what you believe. Do you think that serving others fulfills a place in your life that helps you grow and prosper? Or do you want to be told what to do by rulers who, since Machiavelli's time (1532), have used power to control people through religion, persecution, fear, fanning flames of hate and violence, reflecting misery of people who blindly worship people who have wealth, and use their positions to enhance their power?

The historian and moralist Lord Acton expressed this opinion in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Over the past few weeks of political conventions, I've realized–through others’ stories–the valuable lessons instilled in me by my mother, my father’s example, and my friend Tawfic during my upbringing in a small Midwestern community. They taught me that "The Art of the Possible" involves working with people you can trust, allowing them to make mistakes, taking responsibility for your own mistakes, and pursuing what you love silently, quietly, and with integrity.

It’s my hope that you have, too! If you look in the mirror, you will likely see that you, too, have embraced the art of the possible in your community. And it has nothing to do with politics.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

Don Hanley said…
Patrick - a wonderful article - I hope it goes viral!!
Anonymous said…
Yes so very true … and power mean you have a tiger by the tail and can’t let go for fear of one’s colleagues)rivals

Most Popular of All Time

Mom Was Right

In this episode: Mom Was Right (Again!) . . . Remember that old saying, "Mom knows best?" Well, this week, it resonated profoundly. I vividly recall my mother's steadfast remedy for the common cold, which was ingrained in my 1960s childhood: "Rest in bed, drink plenty of fluids, and take aspirin to reduce pain and fever." . . . Or now that I think about it, this may have been a Bayer aspirin commercial–Simple . . . Fast-forward to the age of AI and endless medical information at our fingertips, and guess what? Not much has changed. Yet, somehow, this week, Lori and I were blindsided by a cold—the first in over five years. My incredulous "How could this be?" quickly morphed into a dawning realization. Our company's annual meeting, a melting pot of colleagues from Illinois, Texas, Vietnam, Colorado, Northern California, and the Central Valley, was a veritable petri dish of germs. And, oh, the germs found me! Getting sick, especially after a long str...

Whispers of Spring

In this episode, Whispers of Spring . . . Spring has a way of sneaking in when you’re not looking. One day, you’re shaking off the last chill of winter, and the next, you realize the light has shifted, stretching shadows just a little longer. It didn’t make a big fuss about it—no dramatic entrance, no trumpets—just a quiet unfolding, like an old dog settling into a sunny spot on the porch. Last week, Daylight Saving Time kicked in, which meant we all fumbled with our clocks, grumbled a bit, and then, like frogs taken aback by a warm rain, leapt forward into longer evenings. The sun now lingers, in no rush to set, hanging in the sky like a tossed coin that refuses to fall. With the extra daylight, we find ourselves drawn outside once again, migrating to the back patio like folks are drawn to a warm campfire. The lawn chairs are right where we left them, waiting like old friends. The air hums with wind chimes, their tuned cylinders catching the breeze and weaving together something that...

Special April Fools' Edition: Did You Fall For It?

In this episode: Special April Fools' Edition: Did You Fall For It? (And a Little Baseball Nonsense) Welcome, fellow baseball aficionados and purveyors of the peculiar, to a very special, dare we say unpredictable, issue of On the Fly! Today, the air is thick with . . . well, probably just regular air, but a specific mischievous something is buzzing around. Can you feel it? Does that tingling sensation make you double-check your shoelaces and suspiciously eye any unusual packages? Yes, dear readers, it’s April 1st! A day steeped in mystery, shrouded in playful deception, and frankly, a day where you shouldn't believe anything you read (except maybe this . . .maybe). But before we descend into a whirlwind of whimsical falsehoods (don’t worry, we’ll mostly keep it light!), let’s take a quick, slightly wobbly, historical flight through the origins of this most unreliable of holidays. Whispers from the annals suggest a few intriguing possibilities for why we dedicate this particula...

At 92–Don's Digital Daydream

Listen to the audio here. In a world of his own–lives, ole' Doctor Don, Not one world, but three, 'til the setting of the sun! There’s his Blog-World , so bright, with words all a-whirl, And Book-World , with stories of boy and girl! Then, Day-World , where legs didn't leap, didn't run, Just shuffled and creaked 'til each day is done. But his brain, oh, his mind, it’s zippy and keen, A most curious fellow that ever was seen! At ninety and two, with a twinkle so bright, He met Chatty and said, "What a strange delight!" This box with the answers, so quick and so bold, Of theology and stories, new truths to unfold!" "Integrity, relationships, where do they fit? This thing makes me wonder, bit by bit!" He ponders and pokes with laughter and a grin, "Til POOF! he has gone to a world from within! A world made of words, a fantastical place, Where limits of the body, left not a trace! He Soares, and he zooms, with a thought and a rhyme, Trans...