John Roskam from the Institute of Public Affairs highlights the failures of the fourth estate to hold our politicians (and other institutions) to account.
I always feel a little slow the day after the Godfather movie is shown on television.
No matter how I try, the urge to watch the three hour masterpiece overcomes any desire for sleep and I end up post midnight pondering the fortunes of the Corleone family.
Coppola’s epic is reflective of the sliding doors moments that occur for all of us. No, I am not talking about the life of gangsters but how individual decisions impact our lives.
Circumstances can have a profound impact on choices we have to make but they do not necessarily determine the actual decision taken.
A rational person will make decisions that are in their best interests, but we humans are imperfect creatures and logic can become clouded by emotions, relationships or myriad other influences.
That’s part of what makes life such a rollercoaster - exciting, fun and a little dangerous all at the same time.
It has been a tenet of wisdom in our home that you cannot control what other people do but you can control how you react to their actions.
The difference in reaction is evident throughout The Godfather film. The contemplative Don Vito is pragmatic and calm in the face of great trial. His successor, Sonny, responds more emotionally to similar circumstances.
The end result is the former seems to solve problems while the latter tends to exacerbate them. They both die but one at peace in his garden and the other under a hail of gunfire.
There’s probably a bit of Vito and Sonny’s temperament in all of us. Cool, calm, measured on one hand with some volatility mixed in.
In my experience the greatest negotiators and communicators have been able to control and utilise the full range of that emotional repertoire to achieve the results they desire from themselves and from others.
As parents, many of us have used those skills every single day. Teaching children life lessons often entails the proverbial carrot and stick.
As adults though, things are a little different. No adult I know likes criticism and few react well to it.
I was once told that to positively modify behaviour in adults it is far better to praise what you like, identify an area for improvement and then to reinforce the praise again.
It’s a lesson I am always reminded of whenever the Godfather is on television.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
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