"Se fier à la conviction, à la dévotion et à d'autres excellentes qualités spirituelles ; cela ne doit pas être pris au sérieux en politique"

In politics, you can't lean too heavily on conviction, devotion, or other lofty spiritual traits. The core idea here is pretty straightforward: political success doesn't come from idealism alone. While those qualities might inspire and guide you, they can't be the foundation of effective political strategy. Politics is a complex game of negotiation, power dynamics, and often compromise.

To give you some historical context, think about Machiavelli's "The Prince." Machiavelli argued that rulers must be shrewd and pragmatic rather than idealistic. He suggested that sometimes, you’ve got to be willing to play hardball and make tough, even morally ambiguous choices. Idealism is great for motivation, but practicality rules the day.

Take, for example, the case of Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. Lincoln is often celebrated for his moral vision — ending slavery and preserving the Union. But, if you dive into the nitty-gritty of his presidency, you'll see that he was also a masterful politician. He made strategic decisions, sometimes compromising and even suspending habeas corpus, to maintain support and keep the Union together. His moral convictions set his goals, but his political acumen got him there.

So, what’s the takeaway for you? If you're diving into politics, keep your ideals and let them guide your vision. But remember, achieving those ideals will require savvy tactics, compromise, and sometimes, a bit of cunning. Engage with the reality of your political environment. Know when to push forward and when to negotiate. It’s a balancing act, really.

Now, let’s make this a bit more relatable. Imagine you’re the president of a student body at your university. You’ve got this fantastic vision of making the campus greener and more sustainable. That’s your conviction. It’s what drives you. But you soon realize that to get the funding and support for your green initiative, you need the backing of not just the environmentally conscious students but also the administration, the sports teams, and various other groups with their own interests.

You start by aligning your green initiative with the administration's cost-saving goals. You frame your ideas in terms of long-term savings on energy costs — that’s your practical angle. Then, you approach the sports teams, suggesting that eco-friendly practices can enhance their public image and attract more sponsors. You’re not abandoning your conviction; you’re using political savvy to navigate the different power structures and interests on campus.

In a coffee-shop chat about this, I'd say, look, politics isn't just about having a great vision. It’s about making that vision happen through strategy, negotiation, and often, a bit of give-and-take. Keep your ideals close, but don’t let them blind you to the practical steps needed to achieve them. It's like a game of chess; you need strategy, foresight, and sometimes, you’ve got to sacrifice a pawn to save the queen.