Wariness about the Political Arena
The temper of the times reflects a great deal of uncivil discourse, especially in the political arena. This can be off-putting to potential emerging sage leaders who may possess qualities for political leadership:
I believe that most people are intimidated by the political process because it is seen as intrusive and ugly. Most people don’t realize that it doesn’t take a lot to get involved and get elected. And they also don’t understand that once they are involved, they can really bring about change at the local level.
Some folks I know were remarkable community leaders in the past but have burned out. Sometimes they come and help in the background. Others have stepped forward, but they have been so beaten-up for their involvement or views that they don’t feel it is worth becoming engaged again.
I know from my experience in politics that you take a lot of criticism and you’re a target sometimes. People publically speculate whether you are self-serving or working for the betterment of the community, so I think some people just don’t want to open themselves to this kind of scrutiny and criticism. Others see public scrutiny as a detriment to their business because the decisions that are made make people mad sometimes. And some people don’t want to expose their family to that kind of thing either.
Other Reasons for Civic Disengagement
There are additional reasons that emerging sage leaders give as to why other potential sages aren’t civically involved. Some people lack self-confidence, or feel they can’t make a difference, or don’t know where to start, or believe that access to community leadership is limited to but a few:
Download Article 1K ClubI think that life is busy, and it is hard for people to keep-up with their own life issues. Some people feel they can’t or don’t want to make a difference, so they need an opportunity to get involved and understand that by taking action they can get their issues prioritized. In any event, we need to combat apathy.
I’ve been looking at the age group between 18 and 24 and wondering how to engage them. We’re not really teaching them the path of civic engagement or giving them tools, and we need to find a way to do this. Young people don’t feel they have anything to give, or don’t know how to give if they do.
