Negative, divisive politics have detrimental effects on social, mental, emotional and physical health. It does not matter how much a person meditates or focuses on their wellness, poor governance and substandard leadership will affect them personally at some level. This does not only concern the individual. At its worst, politics can divide a family and even a country. In short, society cannot be well if wellness is not part of the government’s agenda or approach.
World Happiness Reports examine factors that could influence people’s happiness and therefore their wellness state. Based on an evaluation called the Cantril ladder, respondents are asked to assess their overall happiness on a scale from one to ten. Consistently, four countries have held the top positions: these are Denmark, Switzerland, Norway and Finland. This is not surprising given that they score well in areas such as GDP, equality, social support, healthy life expectancy and generosity. Three factors that stand out as having a key influence on the happiness of people and which these four countries demonstrate are trust, freedom and lack of corruption.
The World Happiness Reports also show that democracies do, on the whole, tend to be happier than flawed democracies, hybrid regimes or authoritarianism, however the last decade has seen a rise in a different form of governance: populism. While moderate populism is not necessarily anti-democratic, it does clash with the values of liberal democracy (where many ways of life, opinions, interests and goals can coexist on an equal footing, a system where diversity is valued). Populist leaders use nationalism and patriotism to motivate their people and are predisposed to feed and build upon a group mentality. Those who disappoint the leader are deemed to be opponents who are then blamed and shamed and ejected from the group. Populism also normally relies on a patriarchal system, where men are educated to think and act in a masculine way and women to think and act in a feminine way. Anyone who crosses the boundaries are very likely to be scapegoated and punished, in particular, trans people or sexual minorities.
One only has to look at the appearance of a leader to assess whether they are embracing wellness themselves. Do they look fit, healthy, well-presented, happy and comfortable in their skin or are they overweight, unfit, angry and bitter? Unfortunately, the latter tends to be true of dictators and populist leaders. While populist leaders and dictators may be able to hold power for decades, ultimately, as history shows, they eventually flounder, often unpleasantly. On the other hand, service-orientated leaders, the leaders who put duty and integrity first, who realize they are serving not just the current generation, but the generations that will follow, not only succeed (even though they might not survive to see their success), but they also leave a legacy that inspires, motivates and gives hope to future generations. From a wellness perspective, their impact is not to be underestimated. Not only do they leave lasting legacies, but the words and teachings of great leaders (Marus Aurelius being one classic example) have influenced much of today’s wellness literature.
So what does make a good leader? Two key qualities should be noted and are evident in the great leaders from history, whether it be Nelson Mandela, George Washington or Mahatma Gandhi – these are integrity and a commitment to do what is right. A servant leadership style is often prevalent among such leaders, such as Gandhi, who lived a life of simplicity, and Martin Luther King, who paid with his life for his cause. Determination is another quality that stands out, as well as diligence and duty, as demonstrated in leaders such as Angela Merkel, Churchill and Queen Elizabeth II.
Courage is another quality that should be highlighted, especially in the face of adversity, as well as having a vision. It was his fortitude, vision and courage combined with his ability to forgive that made Mandela such an iconic leader. Having a vision and being able to communicate were also among Churchill’s core qualities, as well as his ability to motivate and inspire. His success in World War II was, in part, due to his strategic insight and tenacity. Queen Elizabeth II, in addition to working tirelessly, remained optimistic, humble and professionally steadfast, and was so popular that even dictators (such as Putin) spoke admiringly of her.
Queen Elizabeth II was not alone, women in particular have a particularly positive effect on the politics of a country, in part because of characteristics such as honesty, intelligence, compassion and innovation, characteristics that rate highly in leadership roles. Women generally score much higher in these areas than men. The public also tends to view women as more compassionate, innovative and honest. One study argued that women make better leaders because they seek to develop others, are more effective listeners and have a strong capability to think outside of the box.
Division and deficient leadership are often blamed on voting systems, where poor decisions have been made due to the lack of knowledge of the electorate, hence the discussion regarding epistocracies. While democracies give every citizen an equal right to vote, epistocracies apportion political power according to the knowledge or competence of the voter. Its aim is not just to enable knowledgeable people to rule, but to ensure that citizens are not subjected to incompetent politicians. Different examples of epistocracy include giving every citizen one vote, but granting additional votes to citizens who pass certain tests in topics such as basic political knowledge, history, geography, economics etc. Ultimately epistocracy tries to safeguard that the informed are not drowned out by the misinformed. Discussions on the advantages of epistocracies resurface from time to time, particularly during periods of unstable democratic leadership or when defective leadership and poor governance prevail. It makes interesting food for thought.
Another important factor is the necessity to ensure robust safeguards to prevent ill-equipped, ill-intentioned and unqualified leaders, from ever having access to power. To quality as a medical surgeon takes on average about 13 years. A surgeon with 2 – 3 surgery days per week, and a career of 30 years (depending on their specialization) could conduct around 30,000 to 150,000 surgeries in their career. The reason for the 13 years of practice and training, is because they have the responsibility for a huge number of lives. It is ironic that for some of the most powerful positions on the planet, positions that can impact the lives of millions (not just thousands), no qualification, no training and no screening is required. It is not only ironic, it is also foolish and dangerous.
So, what about personal political wellness? The starting point of true personal political wellness begins with firstly being informed and is then followed by clear and critical thinking. Such thinking requires introspection and an open-minded assessment of others, an approach that is very much connected to mindfulness. While adverse political events can have a daily toll on a person’s wellness positively, this can also be turned around to act as a catalyst to spur people into action. One study has concluded that people who feel more intense negative emotions are more likely to take action. Mahatma Gandhi saw anger as a good thing, a fuel for change, but only if it is controlled and directed. Mandela turned his anger to pragmatism and reconciliation and Martin Luther King Jr. channeled his anger into non-violent resistance and positive forms of protest. Bernice King, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s daughter, said her father understood it was necessary to channel anger, otherwise, it can have the potential to destroy a person by turning into hate. Perhaps the best advice comes from Maya Angelou:
If you’re not angry, you’re either a stone, or you’re too sick to be angry. You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn’t do anything to the object of its displeasure. So use that anger, yes. You write it. You paint it. You dance it. You march it. You vote it. You do everything about it. You talk it. Never stop talking it.
Michael Wallace & Melanie Kay Smith
For more information on this topic, you can read about it in our book “Wellness for the 21st Century, Thriving in a Post-Pandemic World”