 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
When men have already become important there is, of course, no hope of improving them, since they will no longer listen to advice. Unfortunately, the improvement of the young is generally left to those who have already become old and important.
Source: "On being good" in: Mortals and Others; Bertrand Russell's American Essays, 1931-1935, v.1
More info.: https://russell-j.com/BEING-G.HTM
* a brief comment (Translated with DeepL.com)
As you rise in status (post), the number of people who support you increases. When you are in a lower position, you try to explain and persuade those around you to understand you in the face of criticism. However, the higher you rise in status, the more often those around you 'crush' your critics, so you no longer need to make such efforts. And so, finally, you can lead a 'comfortable' life where your every word is very influential, and the 'naked king' is born. This phenomenon is not limited to the field of politics. The 'naked king' reigns in all fields.
Although the same word 'improve' is used for 'improving them' and 'the improvement of the young', we thought that the meaning and nuance should be different when the target is an important person and a young person, so I had a dialogue with ChatGPT, who gave me the following response.
★ ChatGPT response.
[Russell's use of 'improve' has different nuances depending on the context.
* There is of course no hope of improving people who are already in important positions. --
... 'improve' here refers to 'to change an idea or attitude that has already been formed'. This is to change them to accept new ideas and attitudes. It implies that it is difficult to change people with already established values and habits.
* Improving young people is generally left to those who are already older and in important positions. --
\... improve' here refers to 'improving the abilities and character of young people through education and guidance'. In other words, it means making them better through education and training for young people].