All great people believe their greatness will be rewarded with tolerance for their entitlement. But only great artists are forgiven for the chaos they create in their private lives. Do great leaders have this luxury? Apparently not. Take Churchill, for example.
These thoughts were sparked by the movie Maestro, about Leonard Bernstein’s private life. I think there’s an explanation for this difference: when a great artist creates a mess, it usually concerns only themselves and a few mistresses or lovers. But when political leaders create a mess, it often affects millions.