I'd like to think, actually, that Machiavelli's text doesn't relate to my life in too many aspects. One small thing I can think of is the idea of change. Machiavelli's book is supposed to be a manual of sorts for a new leader, and he writes a bit about how change is often resisted.
In my life, I can relate this to a recent experience. I'm a student director at the Catholic Center for UNCW and this year we got a new Campus Minister, who is the paid adult leader of the center. Many people at the center had formed close relationships with our old Campus Minister, and we had certinely gotten used to his way of doing things. He gave the student's a lot of choice, was young, and valued building community. The new campus minister is older, an ordained nun, and very organized, something that was somewhat lacking before. When she first came in, I was borderline defiant. How could anyone replace Seung, our old and beloved minister? Was she going to try and change everything? What will we do?! As it turns out, she is doing a great job, and making a lot of changes for the better, but it took some close scrutinizing on my part before I would give her the time of day. New leaders have it tough... although I'm not sure following The Prince, as a manual will give you much more than power- it surely isn't how to win friends and influence people.
I think change certainly is a big underlying factor in the prince considering how many changes of power were occuring during the time. And I def think your right about not using the prince to make friends, that would not work. He must have been a lonely fellow.
ReplyDeleteA huge lesson in there. The world (and my own office) could use more organized nuns!
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