Malinda Words: Palmam qui meruit ferat

Byzantine general Flavius Belisarius refusing the crown of Italy offered by the Goths in 540 CE.

A few years ago a politician invited much ridicule over mispronouncing the motto of a school. It was in Latin. Even if it were in English, there’s no shame in getting the pronunciation wrong, after all, what IS correct pronunciation anyway?

Those who ridiculed him were one of two types: his political opponents and the self-styled elites of the country who have been reduced to a level that the only validation of their lives that’s possible is from assuming that those who are not proficient in English are somehow inferior and therefor can amenable to being looked at down their noses. Yes, it wasn’t even English, but that’s irrelevant for such people.

Most of them probably didn’t know what the particular motto, disce aut discede, meant. ‘Learn or depart’ would not be incorrect, but there’s a more profound reading of the line: ‘the only worthwhile endeavour in life is the acquisition of wisdom; any pursuit that eschews this indicates a worthless life.’

Now in this same school, there are two attendant sayings, again in Latin. 'Labor omnia vincit,’ means ‘work conquers all.’ If only that were true! On the other hand, labour is at least a necessary although insufficient condition for triumph of any kind. It is the other line that intrigues me at this moment: ‘Palmam qui meruit ferat,’ or ‘let whoever earns the palm bear it.’ Put another way, ‘the person deserving the crown should wear it.’

Meritocracy. That’s what it is about. And that’s not all. There's an obligation written into it. ‘Earning it’ implies that you’ve worked for it or rather you’ve done what it takes to make you deserve it. The crown, I mean. Leadership, if you will.

It is about the cultivation of certain essential qualities. In the Raja Vagga (discourses referring to kings) of the Anguttara Nikaya (Numerical Discourses) the Buddha details these, especially in the Pagnamakkanuvattanasutta or the ‘First on the turning of the wheel.’ The five characteristics of the (successful) universal monarch can be applied in the modern context to any ruler or indeed any leader of any institution, public, corporate or cooperative: the monarch is required to act with full understanding of meaning (attannu), be conscious of the righteous (dhammannu), tempered enough to ascertain appropriateness of action (mattannu), have a sense of timing (kaalannu) and take cognizance of the gathering or the public (parisannu).

The cultivation of such attributes is what amounts to earning the palm. Typically those who do so, especially if acquiring the crown is not a goal they’ve set for themselves, are recognised as leaders, as deserving the crown. When this happens the particular individual is obliged to accept it, wear it and give leadership. If at any point thereafter the leader loses these qualities he or she ought to step down. He or she is no longer recognised as leader and, typically, will be ousted.

This brings us to what I believe is the most important corollary of palmam qui meruit ferat: if a person does not deserve the crown should not wear it. Indeed such a person should not aspire to those leadership positions. Moreover, even if offered the crown, it should be declined.

Of course someone can argue that this is an ideal type and does not exist in reality. Let’s concede that. However, even the imperfect and the unqualified can cultivate these attributes. Indeed, there have been reluctant people on whose shoulders the full weight of leadership have fallen and who have risen to the occasion. In all such cases they’ve succeeded because they had these qualities or cultivated them.

Typically, though, most people upon whom leadership is thrust don’t realise they are not suited and don’t bother to reflect upon and develop such attributes. They fail. They may believe they’ve succeeded, for example, because they conquered territory, filled treasuries etc., but in the larger order of things, they are but glorified thugs.

The world is full of leaders. Sure, few if any are of the chakravarti order about which the Buddha reflected in the Pagnamakkanuvattanasutta and in the Dutiyaccakkanuvattanasutta or the ‘Second on the turning of the wheel,’ which is an elaboration of sorts referring to succession, i.e. is the qualities that the monarch’s son ought to acquire and as such applicable to a person designated or aspires to replace a leader; for the would-be leader, then.

How many leaders act with full understanding of meaning, are righteous, tempered enough to ascertain appropriateness of action, have a sense of timing and are sensitive to the particular collective they lead? How many who aspire to be leaders reflect on such qualities and commit themselves to cultivate them? The answer would tell us a lot about the state of affairs of a team, an institution, a club, a community, a country or even the entire world.

Palmam qui meruit ferat. The person deserving the crown should wear it. Therein lie many lessons for leaders, aspiring leaders and those who are or will be led. It’s quite alright if you mispronounce it. Mis-understanding can cost though.

['The Morning Inspection' is the title of a column I wrote for the Daily News from 2009 to 2011, one article a day, Monday through Saturday. This is a new series. Links to previous articles in this new series are given below]

23 March 2023

Palmam qui meruit ferat

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