ANST - Politics

[baron at elfsea.ansteorra.org]

Quoting gunnora at realtime.net:
<snip>
> You are certainly welcome to your opinion, but you 
seriously misunderstand
> what
> "politics" is.  So many people misuse "politics" to 
describe back-stabbing,
> unfair treatment, passive aggressive bullsh*t, and so 
forth!
> 
> What politics *actually* is is the art and science of 
people working
> together.
>  Anytime you have more than one person in a group, 
you will have, and need
> politics.
>  This includes the skills of negotiation and 
compromise, and all the tools
> which
> people use in order to get things done, achieve 
concensus, and to make
> relationships
> between people run smoother and easier.

Huzzah!  An all-too-often missed truth.  Or, to put it 
another way, politics is the art of getting someone 
else to do what you want them to.  I find a polite 
request works most often with a minimum of hard 
feelings.  As someone once said, the alternative to 
politics is force.
 
For SCA people, I usually teach that the rules for 
politics are the same as the rules for combat:
1. Do it for honorable goals, in the open where 
everyone can see you.
2. Never take unfair advantage.
3. No victory is worth hurting your opponent.  If 
someone gets hurt, it was done wrong.
4. Conduct yourself in a knightly and chivalrous 
manner; you may face this opponent again, or you may be 
allies next time.
5. If you lose, call the blow and leave the field.  
6. Don't try to chase someone off the field.  The fight 
will be stopped, and you'll be centered again.  Somehow.

One last observation.  It's not possible for one person 
or faction to permanently take over an SCA branch.  But 
it is possible to destroy a branch in the attempt.

- Galen of Bristol


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