Why are so many decent, honest people repelled by politics-as-usual? I use the story of Mal Meninga, the celebrated Australian rugby captain, who famously tried politics and quit 30 seconds into his first interview, choking on the very talking points he’d practiced for weeks. He simply balked at the falsity of it all.

His experience reveals something deeply unsettling about our modern democracy. The political system seems to actively filter out the humble and decent, leaving a space that attracts narcissists, Machiavellians and psychopaths.

We conclude with a glimpse at a different, older model of democracy, championed by America's founders and ancient Athens, that offers a way to heal our broken system.

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We all want good leaders in our democracy, but what if politics, elections, and the very systems we use to choose them actually give narcissists and bad leaders a leg up? In this video on the dark secret behind democracy, I explore the paradox at the heart of our modern institutions. We want leaders who serve others, not themselves.

Yet, our reliance on pitting leadership candidates against each other in open competition, whether in politics or organisations, discourages worthy candidates who dislike self-promotion. Worse, it actively attracts the very people who do the most damage. We have built a meritocracy that confuses what it takes to win with merit itself.

This system allows narcissists and psychopaths to thrive. I examine why our selection process favours the "dark triad" and how we lost touch with the idea of intrinsic merit.

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Why does modern politics feel so much like theatre? It's a problem that stretches right back to ancient Athens, where the very layout of the citizen assembly favoured the charismatic and the power-hungry.

Today, this has evolved into "democracy by theatre". We are drawn to politicians who entertain us, which means vital issues are often ignored simply because they aren't 'exciting' enough for the 24-hour news cycle.

In this video, I explore how this damaging focus on performance distracts from real governance. We look at an Austrian election, where the divisive topic of immigration eclipsed the public's stated priority: education. I then contrast this with a powerful alternative in East Belgium: a standing citizen jury that successfully tackles complex, real-world problems like affordable living and aged care, all away from the political spotlight.

It's time we asked how we can refocus our institutions on good governance rather than political grandstanding.

▶ Enjoy the next episode on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ or Spotify next week

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🎙️ Listen to the “Talking it Through” episode where I talk more about these ideas on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠

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