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    Of Followers and Friends by Sir Francis Bacon

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    Muhammad Faizan
    Sir Francis Bacon discusses the different types of followers that leaders should be wary of. He cautions against costly followers who drain resources or make excessive demands. Factious followers who follow out of discontent rather than affection can cause problems. Glorious followers who excessively praise their leader can damage secrecy and stir envy. Certain types of followers like soldiers are acceptable if not done with too much pomp. The best kind of followers appreciate virtue in all people. It is better to favor more passable followers over overly able ones when no difference in skill exists.

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    Of Followers and Friends by Sir Francis Bacon

    Uploaded by

    Muhammad Faizan
    122 views2 pages
    Sir Francis Bacon discusses the different types of followers that leaders should be wary of. He cautions against costly followers who drain resources or make excessive demands. Factious followers who follow out of discontent rather than affection can cause problems. Glorious followers who excessively praise their leader can damage secrecy and stir envy. Certain types of followers like soldiers are acceptable if not done with too much pomp. The best kind of followers appreciate virtue in all people. It is better to favor more passable followers over overly able ones when no difference in skill exists.

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    FOLLOWERS AND FRIENDS

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    Sir Francis Bacon discusses the different types of followers that leaders should be wary of. He cautions against costly followers who drain resources or make excessive demands. Factious followers who follow out of discontent rather than affection can cause problems. Glorious followers who excessively praise their leader can damage secrecy and stir envy. Certain types of followers like soldiers are acceptable if not done with too much pomp. The best kind of followers appreciate virtue in all people. It is better to favor more passable followers over overly able ones when no difference in skill exists.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    122 views2 pages

    Of Followers and Friends by Sir Francis Bacon

    Uploaded by

    Muhammad Faizan
    Sir Francis Bacon discusses the different types of followers that leaders should be wary of. He cautions against costly followers who drain resources or make excessive demands. Factious followers who follow out of discontent rather than affection can cause problems. Glorious followers who excessively praise their leader can damage secrecy and stir envy. Certain types of followers like soldiers are acceptable if not done with too much pomp. The best kind of followers appreciate virtue in all people. It is better to favor more passable followers over overly able ones when no difference in skill exists.

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    OF FOLLOWERS AND FRIENDS

    By Sir Francis Bacon

    Costly followers are not to be liked; lest while a man maketh his train longer, he
    make his wings shorter. I reckon to be costly, not them alone which charge the
    purse, but which are wearisome, and importune in suits. Ordinary followers ought to
    challenge no higher conditions, than countenance, recommendation, and protection
    from wrongs. Factious followers are worse to be liked, which follow not upon
    affection to him, with whom they range themselves, but upon discontentment
    conceived against some other; whereupon commonly ensueth that ill intelligence,
    that we many times see between great personages. Likewise glorious followers, who
    make themselves as trumpets of the commendation of those they follow, are full of
    inconvenience; for they taint business through want of secrecy; and they export
    honor from a man, and make him a return in envy. There is a kind of followers
    likewise, which are dangerous, being indeed espials; which inquire the secrets of the
    house, and bear tales of them, to others. Yet such men, many times, are in great
    favor; for they are officious, and commonly exchange tales. The following by certain
    estates of men, answerable to that, which a great person himself professeth (as of
    soldiers, to him that hath been employed in the wars, and the like), hath ever been a
    thing civil, and well taken, even in monarchies; so it be without too much pomp or
    popularity. But the most honorable kind of following, is to be followed as one, that
    apprehendeth to advance virtue, and desert, in all sorts of persons. And yet, where
    there is no eminent odds in sufficiency, it is better to take with the more passable,
    than with the more able. And besides, to speak truth, in base times, active men are
    of more use than virtuous. It is true that in government, it is good to use men of one
    rank equally: for to countenance some extraordinarily, is to make them insolent, and
    the rest discontent; because they may claim a due. But contrariwise, in favor, to use
    men with much difference and election is good; for it maketh the persons preferred
    more thankful, and the rest more officious: because all is of favor. It is good
    discretion, not to make too much of any man at the first; because one cannot hold
    out that proportion. To be governed (as we call it) by one is not safe; for it shows
    softness, and gives a freedom, to scandal and disreputation; for those, that would
    not censure or speak in of a man immediately, will talk more boldly of those that are
    so great with them, and thereby wound their honor. Yet to be distracted with many
    is worse; for it makes men to be of the last impression, and fun of change. To take
    advice of some few friends, is ever honorable; for lookers-on many times see more
    than gamesters; and the vale best discovereth the hill. There is little friendship in the
    world, and least of all between equals, which was wont to be magnified. That that is,
    is between superior and inferior, whose fortunes may comprehend the one the
    other.

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