Getting With The Program

[HARDCORE]

5-23-2018

The one thing that some bureaucrats refuse to understand is that they serve at the discretion of the people - they do not rule, and they do not dictate! They can be replaced and some of them need to be – immediately, if not sooner (opinion)? And once again, when will these politicians come to realize that it is the people themselves who run the program, as – “We The People Are The Program!!”

The quest for “Absolute Control” is a built in character flaw of far too many in politics these days (opinion)! Call it “The Caesar Complex” if you must, but whatever it is, it goes contrary to everything that “Our Nation” was founded and built upon, as politicians are still there to serve, and not to be served! And as such, we may owe these politicians our respect and even our undivided attention at times, but never our worship or our blind and unquestioning obedience!

We do not, after all, coronate kings or queens here within “The United States of America!” Rather, we elect temporary employees to serve at the people’s discretion! And as a matter of fact, I still vividly recall (a few years back), when a petty egoist ordered me to get out of their office!

Apparently, this “Elected-Toady” forgot the fact that it was not their office at all, but rather, it was still “The Property of We the People of The United States of America!!”

“Where Do We Find Such Creatures - Much Less, Elect Some Of Them To Public Office?”

Hardcore

[Boats]

Caesar's traits of personality
RE: https://ac.els-cdn.com/S187704281403...307cbb003bfe9c

Julius Caesar (12 or 14 July, 100 – 15 March, 44 B.C.) – historical and psychological portrait

“It is matter for sorrow that while Alexander, at my age, was already king of so many peoples, I have as yet achieved no brilliant success?” seem to have been the Julius Caesar’s words when he has arrived in Spain (69 B.C.), at the age thirty three to serve his quaestorship, while he was looking at Alexander’s statue (Plut., Jul. Caes., 11, 3; also in Suet., Caes., 7; Cass. Dio, 37, 52, 2).

Born in a patrician family, rather old but not very famous, Julius Caesar received a good education. Despite his manifested talent both in literature and rhetoric he chose (Plut. Jul. Caes. 3) his own priority deciding to be on the top of military affairs, which could provide him with a secure road toward the highest political status. It seems that he “was endowed by nature to make the best use of all the arts of war, and particularly of its crucial moment” (Plut., Jul. Caes., 26, 2), he knew to speak very wisely, appearing as a “master of dissimulation” (Appian, Civil Wars, II, 10). His character is revealed from the beginnings: “powerful in speech and action, daring in every way, ambitious of everything, and profuse beyond his means in the pursuit of honours. While yet ædile and prætor, he had incurred great debts and had made himself wonderfully agreeable to the multitude, who always sing the praises of those who are lavish in expenditures” (Appian, Civil Wars, II, 1). Caesar seems to be convinced that investing his wealth in the people is the way of “enrichment” in a much less functional republic where the speed of changes has increased. Having popularitas became very important and attainable through the love of the people, through the recognition of the citizens. Therefore Caesar has created his own people. Friends, relatives and mainly soldiers soon got used with “his love for danger” but above all, they are permanently kept in a peculiar estate of reverence because of Caesar’s strength to endure constraints of a military life, the poor diet and lack of comfort. He used to sleep under the open sky, despite the fact that “he was of a spare habit, had a soft and white skin, suffered from distemper in the head, and was subject to epileptic fits” (Plut., Jul. Caes., 17, 2). Caesar didn’t want to be perceived as an elitist, he lived for a while in Suburra district (the ill-famous district from Rome), he refused to fight on the horse in Gaul in a moment when the necessities of battles demanded it, staying nearby his soldiers on the field and proclaiming he will take the horse only for the triumph ceremony (Plut., Jul. Caes., 27, 5). He often tried to undergo military training and to dictate letters in the same time (Plut., Jul. Caes., 17, 3-4). He never seemed to be afraid of breaking the rules, and even in his crucial moment of decision he didn’t lose his temper, despite the messages sent by the Gods in his dreams (Plut., Jul. Caes., 32, 6). Looking for the explanation for Caesar’s success, Plutarch considered that we are dealing with “nothing else than emulation of himself, as if he had been another man, and a sort of rivalry between what he had done and what he purposed to do” (Plut., Jul. Caes., 58, 2).

During his entire career, Julius Caesar tried to combine tradition with innovation in order to play a key role in the balance of powers in the dying Roman Republic. The roman people had become more sensible to political and religious affairs in the last two Centuries of the Republic. The old value of liberty (libertas) and even citizenship (ciuitas romana) were in danger to be vanished during the civil wars. Julius Caesar understood that very well, as he was a good observer.He was behaving like one of the people, but in the same time he was building himself a charismatic image of a providential leader and exemplum for others. He was seen like a very pious citizen with full respect for his ancestors, but while he was honouring them in public (69 B.C.), he introduced a new dimension of his family reputation and genealogy: the double connection with the beginnings of Rome, the ‘birth’ of the roman people and the kings’ period (Suet., Caes., 6; Plut. Jul. Caes., 9-10, Appian, Civil wars, II, 102.), he dared for the first time to use history and religion in his interest.
Afterwards, paying respect to the military effort of the populus romanus, he will introduce new festivities in the religious calendar of the city – ludi victoriae – but these will decided by law in his name (45 B.C.). There were no religious festivals in the honour of a mortal before Julius Caesar, but only for the Gods (deorum causa), said the antiquarian Varro
in his Book on the Latin Language (VI, 12). Julius Caesar changed the tradition for him (Fraschetti, 1994, 21) and his soldiers. After his apotheosis (44 B.C.), a new festival that celebrated his divine status was added and those innovations would become a rule for the imperial religious ceremonies. More than that, Caesar reforms the entire Roman calendar, in 45 B.C., introducing a new structure for the months and renamed the fifth month of the year (when he was born) upon his name (therefore Quintilis month became Iuliis –July). He modified the entire structure of collegial priesthood in Rome, on top of which Julius Caesar himself was the Great Priest (Pontifex Maximus), with the full control on the election of the priests. This would be another constant prerogative of the future Emperors.

For his dictatorship (from 48 B.C.), he also involved the people near of the Senate, by modifying again the republican tradition (Polyb., III, 81) in name of the respect for citizens. Maintaining this spirit, the dynastic succession in the imperial period would be created around the accordance of three institutions: the Senate, the people and the army (ILS 244, also Tacitus, Hist., I, 12 sqs.). During his censorship (46 B.C.), Julius Caesar organized a census of the entire population, activity for which he sends officials in the territory (Suet, Caes., 41; Plut., Jul. Caes., 61; Appian, Civil Wars, II, 102.) and changes again the ancient rule that required the presence of the citizens at each registration (recorded every five years) on the Field of Mars (Campus Martius), in Rome. The old image of Rome, seen as a body of his citizens gathered in the town, is transformed. Rome is seen everywhere beyond the city walls through its people. This is a new perception of the internal frontiers, a new understanding of the internal geography, which would be developed in imperial times. Julius Caesar turns to account very well the consequences of Caius Marius’ military reform. The connection between a soldier and his general became stronger and the patronage relations are followed by the material support because the general is the one who draws the list of the future allotments for the veterans (Goldsworthy, 2008, 471-81). Caesar supervises the distribution of food inside Rome, and he has the power to reorganize social hierarchy. The people destiny is in Julius Caesar’s hands, and the salvation of the state depends on him.

Life, space and time are the fields of his constantly activity in surpassing Alexander the Great. He trusts himself, but more than that, he thinks he convinced others to trust him. He believes in this so much, that he refuses to be protected by a personal guard. He loved to live in danger astonishing his supporters and enraging his enemies. On the 15th of March, 44 B.C., he was assassinated and became first both a victim and a dead tyrant, then just a hero with the divine status. Even his funerals generate a lot of confusing feelings: he is incinerated in the middle of the Roman Forum, and the City turns to chaos. In the process of time and with help from his heir, the future Emperor Augustus, people began to forget the violent aspect of Caesar’s government and to only remember the charismatic profile of a military and political leader, and that was probably exactly how Caesar wanted to be seen.

(*) One of the main traits of Caesar’s personality includes the need of recognition and success. When he came to a statue of Alexander the Great, he complained that Alexander had accomplished so much more than he had. Historians emphasized that Caesar had a great ability to influence other senators and public opinion, being a good orator and smart in making alliances. From the psychological point of view, these characteristics reflect a high level of social intelligence – a quality that every politician wants to have. Sometimes he used his social intelligence manipulating others. Caesar had an image of the glorious general, being at the same time very generous and altruistic. Another one of Caesar’s personality traits was extraversion. It is known that he was the middle point of others every time. He was a charming person, liking to be close to many friends. It is important to mention that the roman emperor had a tendency to vainglory. Being seduced by the populace’s increasing idealization of his image, he didn’t take into consideration the possible threats against his life, thinking that he was invincible. The fact that he liked a lot to be close to intelligent people reflects not only the gregarious tendency, but also openness. Other features characteristic to Caesar’s personality (encompassing the openness factor from the Big Five Model) is the adventurousness, imagination and artistic interests (taking into consideration that he wrote poetries). The consistent military and political accomplishments suggest that Caesar’s personality is described by some sub-traits belonging to the consciousness factor – self-efficacy, ambitiousness, achievement striving, and self-discipline or perseverance.

The Julius Caesar's Traits of personality included the following:

a. Tendency to vainglory

b. Social Intelligence (ability to persuade others, smart in making alliances

c. Strategic intelligence

d. Extra Version (gregariousness, high activity level)

e. Consciousness (self-efficiency, ambitiousness, achievement-striving, self-discipline or
perseverence)

f. Openness (adventurousness, artistic interest, imagination)

g. Agreeableness (charisma in the relations with others)

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Personal Note:

Now this outlines the issues of the Caesar's traits of personality - however this office he held with an iron fist. He conquered those who differed with his position. He enjoyed the power he had at his will. His demands were brutal and many lives were lost during his venture to become what he became! Was it right (maybe back then)?

But absolute power - corrupts absolutely! This is where the end result became intolerable.

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