Dwarkesh Patel

What we need is to imitate the arts of the ancients.

Let's try to figure out how the Romans did it.

And specifically, the problem is our leaders.

Our leaders are selfish.

Our leaders care more about their wealth and their family honor and their power than they do about the people.

This is where Romeo and Juliet is really helpful for us to understand, right?

Lord Montague and Lord Capulet, as their goons are knifing each other in the street, they care about defeating each other.

Do they care about the good of Italy?

Do they care about the good of the city of Verona?

No.

Their feud is harming the city of Verona and they don't care.

They demand that Romeo get away with murder because he is their son, right?

That is not service to the state.

And Petrarch reads about the ancient Roman Brutus, not the one who killed Caesar, but the ancestor to whom that one was trying to live up.

Rudus, one of the first consuls of Rome, and he learned while in office that his sons were plotting to take over the state and make him king.

So he executed his own sons for treason against the state.

Can you imagine Lord Montague wanting to execute Romeo?

for treason against Verona.

He would never do that.

So when you're living in the plot of Romeo and Juliet and you read about these ancient Roman figures, as described in the lofty biographies of someone like Livy, you read them and you say, wow, if only our leaders would act like that.