Foursquare Politics….

Government leaders should be working for the betterment of their constituents, and of the entire country. However, if leaders really just want to be the center of attention, even though we elected them they will not be working for our good; we are paying them, but they will be working for themselves. All that interests leaders like this is their small selves being the center of attention and in charge. When we get a group of people all acting this way with the same self-interested goals, nothing ever gets done. We need to remember that these people would deny they are operating this way, because they are unconscious of their underlying motives. They usually believe they are working for the good of all.

This is where our federal government is right now. Everyone is interested in being the center of attention and maintaining their own power and control. The people we elected are unwilling to let go and be the team called United States government. Nearly no one is asking what is really best for all the citizens of this country. Most everyone is just interested in keeping their small teams called the Democrats and the Republicans in the forefront.

One of the techniques I have developed as a spiritual director is the Foursquare Personality Game. It allows us to see where our attachments are and free us from them. In class the other day we made foursquares for President Obama, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell:

President Barack Obama

Speaker John Boehner

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

As we look at each of their foursquares, we can see these men are perfect for each other. They just feed each other’s small self. Where President Obama sees himself as reasonable and a nice guy, Boehner will see him as weak, legalistic and aloof. Boehner sees himself as a forceful dealmaker, while others see him as an obnoxious operator. Obama doesn’t want to be mean and irrational, so he will not be forceful, strong and creative. Boehner doesn’t want to be seen as too pleasant and too quick to compromise because he’s afraid he will be perceived as insipid and wishy-washy. McConnell is just rigid but sees himself as determined and decisive. McConnell would never be flexible because he would then think he was being wishy-washy. These men all complement each other’s foursquare, just like a strange marriage.

As long as we operate within our foursquares, our small selves take center stage. Being in the Heart eliminates the influence of the foursquare; our attention is in its proper place, and it is not our goal to be the center of attention anymore. The small self will resist this experience; it is not strong enough to be truly equal and has no desire to do that. A good leader, however, is strong enough to leave ego behind and work for the greater good.

Unfortunately, we no longer have statesmen; we have politicians. Politicians are small selves looking to be leaders. They speak up from where they are. They can be after nothing but attention and control, but we begin to believe they are only forceful dealmakers and determined, decisive and reasonable nice guys. They are also weak, aloof, legalistic, rigid, obnoxious operators who can also be insipid, wishy-washy, irrational and mean. We are all of those things, and until our leaders each get into their Hearts, stop being so committed to their own individual interests, and give up their smallness, there will be no hope for anything happening in Washington. Remember, when we are in the Heart we are not the center of attention; no one is, which is actually a really good thing. At that point we care only for the betterment of all because, whether follower or leader, we are All.