I want to stay away from politics, or else I'll probably end up

The words of Peter Steele carry both jest and wisdom: “I want to stay away from politics, or else I’ll probably end up putting my size fifteen foot into my mouth.” In this, he confesses the peril of speech in matters of power. To speak in the realm of politics is to tread a battlefield of words, where every phrase may be twisted, every misstep remembered. The image of the “foot in the mouth” is humor, but behind the laughter lies a deep truth—that the tongue, if not guarded, may wound its own master.

The ancients understood this danger well. In the assemblies of Athens, men could rise to glory through eloquence or fall to ruin by a single careless word. Alcibiades, brilliant and reckless, won admiration with his daring speeches, but also provoked suspicion and scorn. His tongue both lifted him and destroyed him, casting him into exile. Steele, though speaking centuries later, channels the same lesson: in politics, one’s greatest enemy may not be another’s sword, but one’s own speech.

There is also humility in his words. He recognizes that his strength lies not in the tangled games of politics, but in his music, his art, his raw presence. Better to stay true to one’s calling than to stumble clumsily in a field not one’s own. Many have fallen by overreaching, believing themselves masters of every realm. Steele’s jest warns against this arrogance, showing wisdom in self-restraint.

History is filled with those who might have heeded such counsel. Consider Charles II of England, whose careless tongue and jesting manner often undermined his rule, leaving him mocked as the “Merry Monarch.” Though clever, his words sometimes betrayed his cause, and his reign was weakened by his inability to guard his speech. In contrast, his contemporary Oliver Cromwell wielded words with precision, turning them into weapons as sharp as swords. The lesson is plain: words in politics are not casual things, but instruments of fate.

So let the generations remember: to know when to speak is wisdom, but to know when to remain silent is greater still. Not every warrior is called to the council, not every artist to the throne. Guard your tongue as you would your sword, for in politics a single misstep can bring more ruin than a thousand battles. Steele’s laughter hides a truth the ancients knew well: silence, when chosen with wisdom, is itself a form of power.