“Those who are not true leaders or elders will just affirm people at their own immature level, and of course immature people will love them and elect them for being equally immature. You can fill in the names here with your own political disaster story. But just remember, there is a symbiosis between immature groups and immature leaders, I am afraid, which is why both Plato and Jefferson said democracy was not really the best form of government. It is the safest. A truly wise monarch would probably be the most effective at getting things done.”

American Franciscan priest and writer on spirituality

Richard Rohr is an American Franciscan priest and writer on spirituality based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was ordained in the Roman Catholic Church in 1970. He is known for founding the New Jerusalem Community in Cincinnati in 1971 and the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque in 1987. Rohr writes and speaks on spirituality, with a focus on contemplative practice, faith, and social action. In 2011, PBS described him as one of the most popular spirituality authors and speakers in the world.