Eliot Spitzer: Victim of Unconcious Behavior?

Here we go again. Why do powerful men sometimes set aside their morals and often break the law when they have so much to lose? Because this particular history repeats itself so often (recall Jim McGreevey, Larry Craig, David Vitter, and Bill Clinton, to name a few) I would argue there is a basic cause in all of these cases. Since Eliot Spitzer and other politicians do not have a monopoly on impulsiveness and lack of judgment (we just hear about them more because they are in the public eye), this may be of personal interest to you as well. So let's get down to basics.

It might just come down to unconscious behavior. Many high profile people are driven and work extremely hard to get where they are. Although they accomplish things that many find impressive, to them it becomes the norm. With each goal they meet, the satisfaction quickly fades and there is a constant need to accomplish something bigger. Since they are always looking to the future they are not fully aware of what they are doing in the present. And if you're not aware of the present, you cannot appreciate it for what it is. They expect to win all the time. So when achieving what they set out to do within the constraints of morality and law becomes commonplace, what are they to do for fulfillment? Perhaps doing something against their morals or against the law, and getting away with it, becomes a challenge and a thrill.

It's ironic that Spitzer is accused of a crime he has prosecuted against so successfully and so mercilessly in the past. One could argue he would not have become governor without prosecuting prostitution. So to commit that very crime himself had to have something to do with unconsciousness. One might argue that he was just not thinking. I would say the opposite; he was thinking too much (and unconsciously). And that wrongful thinking led him to believe he could get away with it. He certainly knew it was wrong and knew his job, his family, and his marriage could be at stake, not to mention the damage it might do to his party in a presidential election year. Maybe he thought he deserved it. Maybe he was treating himself to some pleasure because his work was not giving him any and it kept him away from his family too much.

It's always a shame when someone's unconscious behavior causes them to lose so much. Spitzer was regarded as a brilliant and effective leader, and now he is gone. There were certainly more accomplishments to come, but now we'll never know.

So can these unfortunate scenarios be avoided? Yes, but it has to come from within each individual. It can't be legislated, and no watchdog committee will prevent these incidents from occurring. The essence of Eliot Spitzer was that of a crime fighter and family man, as evidenced by his career and wife and children. But somehow he disconnected from that essence and it was somehow devalued in his mind. Don't let that happen to you. Stay connected. Stay concious.