Private lives and the public interest by Roseth @ Friday, Feb. 19, 2010 – 10:37:46

Why do powerful and successful men stake their political futures on furtive affairs? The answer might be: “because they can”. The excessive drive of many narcissistic sybarites is seldom sated; one conquest, whether public or personal, just leads to further craving. Our reptilian brain lurks just below the superego, ready to pounce. Success on one level, whether public or economic, often brings the need to succeed on an erotic level, and an egotistic sense of invincibility and entitlement permeates their whole lives.

Adam Giambrone, for one, is an intelligent, and no doubt, capable young man. What I find incongruous –in this case as in many others like it –is that he could not foresee the danger of using the cell phone to text messages of personal content to this demimonde. What was he thinking? Had he not heard about Tiger Woods? The hubris of power and success has toppled bigger people than he, and , I’m sure , will continue to do so; especially in today’s world, where the press is ever vigilant, and their object of elicit love, when discovering the duplicity of their paramour, does not mind “letting it all hang out” on the “clothesline” of the media. The separation of the public and the private is now tenuous at best.

It might well be that the impetus of multiple sexual partners is “in our genes” – of men and women. However, our ordered society frown on this behaviour, as it is inconsistent with our social fabric and mores. If pair bonding is also part of our genes, it is to ensure a social order where our descendants can thrive. Sexual profligacy is generally frowned upon in society, and anyone who aspires to political office should check their perversions in the proverbial closet.

Politicians –or any public figure –should measure up to minimum standards of decency and probity.

If we cannot expect our leaders to show some restraint and to set a higher standard; what do we have leaders for? We need them to lead by example, not truckle to the lowest denominator.

It's interesting to note that Tiger Woods, in his statement to the media February 19th, stressed just these points: that he had a feeling of invincibility and entitlement; and that he owed a greater debt to the public, his family and the golf community than the average man. Too bad it took such an upheaval for him to learn that lesson.