I hate you but I enjoy what you do

Walking across the beautiful Vigeland Park in Oslo and enjoying the magnificent sculptures, I am reflecting on art and the governance of men.

Historically, no definitive link between artistic excellence and mental health has been demonstrated. However, it does not seem to be denied that psychological disorders can shape certain states of mind and the creative work of artists.  The cases of Francisco de Goya, Vincent van Gogh and Frida Kahlo are well known. Also Edward Munch depicted so much pain and loss in his work. The common denominator among them is that their art reflects the inner turmoil and struggle arising from their psychological condition.

The other face of the coin is when a selfish mindset or even a pathology shape a political model. We assume that good governance is the process whereby public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in a manner that promotes the rule of law and the realization of human rights. The dull truth is probably that tyrants are a recurrent feature of human existence and that a collection of events allows them to blossom. While suffering and pathologies inspire creativity in artists for the joy of humankind, the tyrants displaying any pathology expose to great pain entire societies.

Therefore we could distinguish between tyrannies (single-ruler dictatorships) and autocracies (dictatorships governed by an authoritarian coterie). In a tyranny, the dictator is the sole bearer of power and chooses the limits to impose. Tyrants try to portray themselves as autocrats and explore how to display as legitime governments. 

Emperor Nero burned Rome. Herodes, Stalin, Hitler subjugated societies; the citizens were left vulnerable to delusional mentalities with aspirations of grandeur.  

As tyrants take control of democracies, they typically do 7 things: They exaggerate their mandate to govern.They turn the public against journalists or media outlets that criticize them.They repeatedly lie to the public. They blame economic stresses on immigrants or racial or religious minorities. They attack the motives of anyone who opposes them, including judge. They appoint family members to high positions of authority. They keep their personal finances secret, and draw no distinction between personal property and public property. Robert Reich; "7 sign of Tyranny", HuffPost, 2017)

The ruler inflicts pain on the ruled. But beyond that, also people subjugated to authoritarian rule tend to have rigid beliefs about their own freedoms and believe that surveillance and extreme forms of control are the solutions to (potential) defiant disorder and away from virtue. It is a vicious circle; like Russia nowadays.

There are huge differences between the impact of mental anomalies on artists and rulers. Pablo Picasso said that "Art is a lie that makes us realize truth". I would add that tyrants create lies that cause ruled to turn away from any hint of truth. Probably tyrants and autocrats are weaker than they look. They need to craft hard liners circles around them to hide their weaknesses. It is unfortunate that we still see them among us, and it is extremely unfortunate that they unleash war with impunity.

Today, beneath one of Gustav Vingeland's fantastic life sculptures in the wonderful city of Oslo, the capital of beautiful Norway, I send you all warm greetings and invite you to reflect on these topics:

Many fools think they are wise. However, many wise people fear not knowing enough and feel they are fools. Life is too complicated to spend it in solitude. Loneliness is perfect if sought and imperfect if suddenly unleashed. We learn from our elders, and they do from their ancestors, lessons of life, and respect. Our elders learned hard lessons they do not want you to experience again. Learn from your mistakes, avoid unnecessary danger, and dare to confront your unavoidable battles despite the danger. And above all, profess emphatic and own your silence.