"There was once a wise, spiritual master who was the ruler of a small but prosperous domain and who was known for his selfless devotion to his people. As his people flourished and grew in number, the bounds of this small domain spread and with it the need to trust implicitly the emissaries he sent to ensure the safety of its ever more distant parts. It was not just that it was impossible for him personally to order all that needed to be dealt with: as he wisely saw, he needed to keep his distance from, and remain ignorant of, such concerns. And so he nurtured and trained carefully his emissaries, in order that they could be trusted.

Eventually, however, his cleverest and most ambitious vizier, the one he trusted most to do his work, began to see himself as the master, and used his position to advance his own wealth and influence. He saw his master's temperance and forbearance as weakness, not influence, and on his missions on his master's behalf, adopted his mantle as his own - the emissary became contemptuous of his master. And so it came about that the master was usurped, the people were duped, the domain became a tyranny; and eventually it collapsed in ruins." - Friedrich Nietzsche

If you've ever listened to The Culture Matters Podcast before, then you know that the sayings and philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche are a staple of this program. On today's episode, our very own Jay Doran is having a look at the above quote and breaking it down to take a deeper dive into the relationships that exist between mentors and mentees as well as people in a position of authority and their subordinates. They say people don't leave their jobs, they leave their bosses and a lot of it has to do with a lack of investment in those employees. There is a lot to unpack in this episode and we are here for absolutely all of it on this episode of The Culture Matters Podcast.

Season 81, Episode 962: Jay Doran: The Master and His Emissary