Hubris and nemesis

The Supreme Court has ruled that both, the Election Commission and the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, were responsible for violating voters’ rights by postponing the local government elections.

A top official of the Elections Commission on hearing the top Court’s ruling claimed that the Courts’ pronouncement strengthened the Election Commission. 

The Daily Mirror reported President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s response with calculated brevity. “While acknowledging that postponing the Local Government elections is a violation of the citizens’ basic rights, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said he does not regret this decision. 

The President said he was not remorseful as the time was dedicated to ensuring the people’s right to live and in maintaining their safety.” 

“The President made these remarks while addressing the National Conference of the New People’s Front (NPF) at the National Youth Services Council auditorium in Maharagama. 

“He explained that if he had devoted the time to conduct the Local Government elections, then achieving economic stability would not have been possible.” 

The subject of this very brief missive is ‘Hubris accumulation’ and Nemesis which accompanies it. 

Hubris accumulation in leaders suddenly and surprisingly catapulted into high office is the result of excessive self-confidence and total and utter contempt for alternative points of view.

Hubris accumulation in leaders suddenly and surprisingly catapulted into high office is the result of excessive self-confidence and total and utter contempt for alternative points of view

It is a terrible malaise leading to total detachment from reality. When it happens to leaders in a representative democracy, provided there is an adequate supply of buffoons to say ‘hurrah’ it results in autocratic governance that can be corrected only at the next election. 

Hubris Syndrome occurs when someone in a position of power develops a magnified and embellished view of themselves and their capabilities.  

Leaders afflicted with hubris syndrome generally respond to reason and logic with an uppity dismissal of ‘up yours’. The people therefore must be ready to tell him ‘up yours’ in the first available opportunity. That’s the purpose of the next Presidential election. 

Hubris inevitably leads to the downfall of those who possess it. That unpreventable, inexorable outcome is known in history as a nemesis. Nemesis is the goddess of retribution and denotes the destruction, suffering or punishment that can follow in the wake of hubris.