Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation

Hear, O children of discernment, the sharp words of Robert Louis Stevenson: “Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary.” In this statement, the great writer lifts the veil on the folly of nations. For in every craft—be it medicine, law, or shipbuilding—men study long years, laboring in apprenticeship before they dare to practice. Yet in politics, which governs lives and shapes the destiny of nations, many presume that no such preparation is required, that anyone may lead without training, wisdom, or discipline.

For politics is too often seen as the realm of rhetoric rather than responsibility. Men are chosen for charm, wealth, or ambition, not for knowledge of justice or the skill of governance. Thus Stevenson laments, for the people suffer when power is entrusted to those who treat it as mere inheritance or sport. If the physician untrained may kill one body, how much greater the danger when the unprepared politician may wound an entire people?

History offers many proofs of this truth. Consider the fall of Rome, when senators and emperors, chosen for birth or bribes rather than wisdom, squandered the legacy of centuries. Their lack of preparation for leadership led to decadence, corruption, and collapse. In contrast, leaders like Pericles of Athens, who trained in philosophy, rhetoric, and the duties of state, left behind a city whose art and democracy still inspire the world. Preparation, Stevenson warns, is the dividing line between ruin and greatness.

So too in modern times. Many rulers rise suddenly from celebrity or fortune, believing their fame or wealth enough to govern. But governance is not instinct—it is a craft requiring knowledge of law, history, economics, and the human soul. When unprepared hands hold the levers of power, the people become subjects of experiment rather than beneficiaries of wisdom. Stevenson’s words cut through the centuries, reminding us that ignorance in politics is not harmless—it is deadly.

Therefore, O seekers of truth, let this be your lesson: leadership is not a stage for the unprepared, but a sacred trust. Politics, more than any other profession, demands training, study, and humility. For to govern without preparation is to play with the fate of nations. Stevenson’s wisdom endures as both rebuke and warning: entrust power only to those who have labored to understand its weight, for the destiny of all rests upon their shoulders.