The Uninvolved Public: Perspectives of the Senior Sage Leaders

Other Reasons for Civic Disengagement

Senior sage leaders identify an additional series of reasons that more seniors aren’t civically involved. Some may think they can’t make a difference, or don’t know how to get involved, or lack confidence in leading:

Often people feel that they don’t have what’s going to be needed, or that they really can’t make a difference. The truth is, there is a place for everyone.

Some don’t know how to get involved, and others lack confidence and simply don’t think they can do what is required. And, of course, there are those who are engaged but don’t want or aren’t able to lead.

Then there may be corporate retirees who either are not comfortable operating without an authoritative title or have reservations about working with unpaid volunteers:

Some people from the corporate world here are not comfortable operating without the kind of “stripes” that automatically give them leadership status.

I have several friends who are very capable leaders but have chosen not to get involved civically with our community. There appear to be a number of probable reasons for this. One is that they were very successful in the corporate world but have reservations about their ability to handle the frustrations of working with volunteers or leading them.

And there are those who aren’t involved because they don’t see the value or have yet to connect civically with a personal passion:

People who are at the senior stage of their lives and don’t become involved fail to understand the value of ‘doing for others.’ Simply put, they are takers, and ultimately they lose.