Cynics are the ones who care

Watching back episodes of series 3 of The Tudors on long flight today (kudos to Air Canada for leg room in economy) reminded me of a belief I have long held summarised in the title of this post. In any organisation the ones who enthusiastically take up the latest management initiative are with the odd exception either happy clappy idiots or self-promoting sycophants. The cynical guys at the back of the hall are generally those who care about the organisation.   

Interesting that The Tudors, sanitizes the horror of the Tudor period. Naked flesh (of which there is an abundance) is always clean and immaculately maintained. By the time of the birth of his first and only son, Henry was obese and the smell from his suppurating leg was becoming unbearable, he was not a handsome actor. Robert Aske was was not mercifully given a long drop to break his neck. Burning alive is not over in less than a minute, especially in the case of Lambert whose agony was deliberately prolonged. I could go on, but that is the cynic in me speaking.   Given that people learn history from television programmes there must be some moral responsibility to get things right. And don’t get me started on the confusion of the Earl of Suffolk with Norfolk

Mind you, sycophancy is acceptable if the alternative is barbarous execution by a tyrant; ah maybe that explains it.