Ernest Renan quote

[davidfcooper]

celui qui obéit est presque toujours meilleur que celui qui commande

the one who obeys is almost always better than the one who commands

Comments

[bethr.livejournal.com]

But the one who obeys is the co-dependent, no?

You seldom quote publicly w/out it having multiple meanings both denotatively and connotatively (as in the one about solitude) --- in both the political and personal arenas --- personal for anyone, plus a reflection on your own inner life and those around you. So I'm trying to get my head around this.

PS I'm up at this ungodly hour right now because S. has surgery at 7. He's never had surgery before. It's minor, but neither of us has ever been on the table before, and we're both quite terrified. Which might explain some of my behavior.

[davidfcooper.livejournal.com]

My guess is that the quote refers to hierarchies in general and the military specifically. That certainly applies to the US military wrt its commander-in-chief. I had no personal meaning in mind.

I've had several surgeries: multiple leg fracture set, deeply impacted wisdom teeth removed, gall bladder removed, knee scoped to fix a torn meniscus, inguinal hernia surgeries on both sides plus another one to fix one that didn't hold, and I had a deviated septum straightened so I can breath better. With minor surgery the risk is small, and the recovery should be quick.