Blagojevich’s lesson

Last Sunday, disgraced Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich compared himself to Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi on NBC’s “Today Show,” suggesting that his public scrutiny is akin to the hate-driven persecution of these human rights heroes.

How ridiculous!

Just two days before, the governor had likened himself to the gallant cowboy hero of the old western films, under fire from the evil “tax-raising” townies.

Such absurd statements have led some to question the governor’s sanity, others to criticize his integrity and many to call for a new hairstyle. But the true cause of Blagojevich’s actions is not some latent psychiatric disorder, internal desire to do wrong or the result of his dreadful comb-over.

It’s pride.

Blagojevich’s downfall is a function of too much power placed in all too eager hands. Enabled by the privileges of his position, the governor engaged in wide-scale corruption with seemingly little fear of getting caught.

Attempting to broker deals for all kinds of state jobs and contracts, he was the absolute opportunist whose thirst for power and blind belief that his position placed him above the law led to 76 pages of federal charges.

Blagojevich is the supreme example of unhealthy self-importance. And though his case is extreme, such thoughts are not foreign to most Americans.

Fostered in community soccer leagues where everyone gets a trophy and encouraged in schools where everyone’s a winner, a healthy sense of self-esteem has grown within our national culture. But this positive, self-affirming perspective, when coupled with American materialism and careerism, can quickly turn to self-worshiping pride.

And it’s not a good thing.

It’s pride that leads to war and pride that so often impedes peace. It’s pride that brings the politician to blindly believe the affair can stay hidden and pride that prompts the star athlete to seek forbidden pills to secure fleeting fame. It’s pride that wrecks marriages, families, friendships and careers.

And it was pride that led a state governor to attempt to sell a high-profile senate seat; to lie about it; to fill the vacant seat regardless of public opposition; to be investigated, arrested and impeached; to pathetically assert that he’s a victim of the law, and to tactlessly compare himself to admirable, persecuted activists.

Abraham Lincoln once wisely stated, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

We’re all naturally prone to placing our own needs above the needs of others. Economists even have a word for it. They call it “self-interest.” But when this natural impulse is matched with great authority, we must be careful. We can’t let our own feelings of significance grow to the point where we forget reality. We need honest advisors who’ll question our actions and intentions.

If there’s anything to learn from Gov. Blagojevich, it’s this:

1– The comb-over is dead.

2– Never compare yourself to Ghandi.

3– Pride always starts with self-importance and always leads to self-destruction.