Every Word spoken by the Diplomat is a Stone that defines the Path. It is a Skill and an Art.
Within the Discipline of Theater and Stage, there is Public Speaking, Speeches, and Teaching. And beyond Public Speaking, there is Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution.
Words move People, which moves Countries, which steer Ships. Wrong Words launch Wars.
The more Refined and Skilled you are, the more you are judged. An Educated Person who slips a racist slur will be dismissed in an instant as “Uneducated” and “Ignorant.”
The the Educated Diplomat is assessed with every Word.
Truth.
Ethics.
Logic.
This is what we are assessed on. This is the Path of The Diplomat. Neutrality is your friend. You have the Power to Influence World Powers. You cannot afford a single wrong move.
Timing is everything. The Diplomat has to Nourish the Ego of The World Leader. The Diplomat is almost never a World Leader. This is why Kings had Advisors.
Diplomats have no desire “to rule.” They prefer the Back Seat. The World Leader is — in fact — a Spokesperson.
As I carve out this road for myself, I can feel the refinement of this Path. I can feel the weight of it. With every word spoken, every speech, the room shifts. The Diplomat steps back and measures.
It is as if there is a moment after every speech where you are waiting “for the bomb to go off” under your foot. And only when you see and feel no explosion, can you settle down into your Stance and breathe a sigh of relief.
This is Diplomacy.
Strategic.
Thoughtful.
Deliberate.
There is a point “on the other side” where the Stones are set and you are Defined. You can move about with greater freedom and they know you. This is where Confidence is nourished and you can “relax.” But, be forewarned. if you chose to carve your Diplomatic Path out of Lies, this is the place where your Lies will show and then The Path you built will crumble, and you will fall.
This is where this Article Now Begins :
The Truth Check
Every time I speak, I assess myself. I step back and I assess my words. Did I speak the Truth? Did I represent everyone fairly, truthfully, and properly? Are my intentions Ethical? Am I honest, qualified, and representing the Truth humbly and with proper representation?
Representing Truth.
That is who The Diplomat truly serves.
The Truth. Never the Self.
There are times when you will “Steer your Ship” in a direction you know it needs to go. And people will protest. But… In the Words of Dr. Lyman Hall :
“Your Representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays them if he sacrifices it to their opinion.” – Edmund Burke
I sit long with this quote every day. I am in this seat because of my Accumulated Knowledge. I am Voice of the Voiceless. I speak for them on their behalf. I serve only The Truth, and I do it for them.
I know — based on my Knowledge and Expertise — that I am the Only One Qualified to sit in this Seat on their Behalf. And I am obligated to steer this Ship into the Direction it must go for them.
I am the only one Qualified to get this Ship through these waters. I owe it to the World.
I am in Service to The World.
I hold The Proverbial Torch that has been passed to me. I am looking for others to pass it on, and I have not yet found anyone worthy enough, wise enough, ethical enough — save One Man who has entrusted this Torch to me — And still I look and assess.
Am I qualified for this Position?
Yes.
Am I Ethical and Honorable enough for this Position?
I ask this question of myself every day.
I live in fear of the day I stop asking this Question… and I believe this is the very thing that does make me Qualified to hold this Torch for this World.
These last few days, I desired Humility. I sought it out. I wanted it. I needed it. To compress my Arrogance Strategically, and Ground me. The Compression of Ego between Arrogance and Humility is what turns Ego into [A word that doesn’t exist yet].
Ethical Integrity.
Honor.
This is what a Diplomat is truly in the Profession and Mastery of. This is what being a Diplomat is truly all about. This right here.
Have I made mistakes?
Yes.
Have I made poor judgment?
Yes.
Have I treated some people terribly?
Yes.
Have I behave Unethically?
Yes.
And that is precisely how I learned the Difference of Ignorance and Knowledge. It was the summation of my Mistakes that gifted me with the Knowledge I required to Learn. There is no other way toward Knowledge.
May one learn sooner, rather than later.
I don’t stand before the World because I am Perfect. Far from it. I stand before the World because I have Learned the Most. And the price of that Learning was sheer Humility and Degradation of my Ego.
And then the Shouldering and Accepting — Taking Pride — in those Mistakes that I made for Humiliation and Degradation are the Gifts required to Learn.
This is Diplomacy.