Gary Quehl and William Bergquist
I think people get wrapped-up in their own world. They have busy lives with their jobs and family life. And you can’t force people to get out of their home and away from their Nintendo, TV, or golf. Emerging Sage Leader
Thus far we have explored the civic engagement of the Sage100 from a number of perspectives: how they help their favored civic organizations, the roadblocks they face in leading, their most meaningful and satisfying experiences, what motivates them, whether their civic engagements involve sacrifice, and the perceived benefits they receive from their civic engagements. Now we ask these sage leaders to speculate on why some potential sage leaders are not actively involved in our community by raising two questions: Why do some members of the community who possess sage leadership qualities choose not to become civically engaged? What, if anything, can or should be done about it? Answers offered by sage leaders to the first question are the subject of this essay (focusing on the perspectives of the emerging sage leaders) and the next essay (focusing on the perspectives of the senior sage leaders).
The leading reason that emerging sages give to the issue of civic non-involvement is that many persons who possess sage leadership qualities are engaged in demanding, high pressure jobs or absorbed in meeting family obligations; these two activities simply capture all available time and passion. Emerging sages offer three additional reasons. One is that the very difficult economic and emotional times in which we live simply discourage risking time and energy in civic endeavors. Another is that there are quiet ways to serve others which tend to fly under the radar, and a third is the belief that civic engagement necessarily involves “politics,” which many persons abhor.
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