Losing all, and welcoming it

The best politicians abandon care for status

There came a point in my “political” life where I was completely comfortable with the prospect of losing everything. I did not care if I would never be invited to give another speech. I did not worry if no newspaper would print my commentaries or that no reporter would recite my words or ever again mention my name.

In neither trying to attain higher status or having fear of losing it, I was able to be the most free. A donor might threaten to take away his financial support, a politician might threaten to take away my access, and it would not matter. I could walk away from it all, without so much as a sliver of regret. In fact, I welcomed it.