Gongol.com Archives: July 2025
July 1, 2025
Steadiness is one of the most vital but unloved virtues. The whole structure of civilization quietly depends upon institutions that fulfill expected roles with consistency and without complaint for an indefinite period of service. ■ Imagine, for a moment, a world in which the Mayo Clinic gave up on its position as the medical destination of last resort and instead became a spa for hair transplants and cosmetic surgery. There is no law, statute, or even binding contractual obligation requiring Mayo to remain altriustically focused on care for difficult cases. Yet its steadiness in this regard is invaluable. ■ We miss steadiness when it is gone. When vital institutions wobble from the inside -- or when they are mortally wounded by external forces -- the world is injured by their absence. But it is hard to rise to their defense in a crisis because we often have little or no practice in doing so. Why would we? ■ What we can do is stand for steadiness categorically: Not by being unrepentant defenders of the status quo merely for its own sake, but by appreciating the many complex ways in which things interact and insisting on caution whenever anyone tries to slash and burn their way through institutions (public or private) merely for disruption's sake. ■ A temperamental conservatism (that is, a preservative sense of caution) is necessary far more often than not, as is a respect for good custodianship. Just like accounting and finance and marketing are recognized as disciplines within the realm of business and nonprofit management, so too should we recognize the steady maintenance of useful institutions as a unique discipline. ■ If there can be degrees in innovation and entrepreneurship, there ought to be comparable degrees in responsible custodianship. If some are going to study environmental sustainability in public policy, shouldn't others concentrate on institutional sustainability in public service? A chronic eagerness to change, whether by growth or by cutbacks, isn't a symptom of systemic health.
