"How shall I be able to rule over others, that have not full power and command of myself?"

Francois Rabelais raises an essential question about the foundation of authority and leadership, suggesting that self-mastery is the precondition for guiding or commanding others. The inquiry he poses points to the paradox of exerting control over external matters or individuals while lacking control over one's own thoughts, impulses, and weaknesses. True power, in his view, begins internally, and without such an inward discipline, any external power is either superficial or unsustainable.

At the core of his reflection is the ideal of self-governance. To rule over oneself involves a rigorous honesty about personal limitations and failings, combined with a continuous effort to align actions with principles rather than whims or appetites. The person who cannot govern their own passions, habits, or judgments is prone to inconsistency, partiality, and weakness. When such a person tries to command others, their authority lacks moral weight and credibility, being easily undermined by their own instability.

Leadership often requires the setting of standards, the making of difficult judgments, and the maintenance of discipline among others; these responsibilities demand not only external enforcement but also the embodiment of the virtues and strengths expected from subordinates. One who is subject to their own flaws will struggle to inspire respect or obedience, for people generally look not just to orders but to the character of the leader who gives them. If the leader wavers, so will their followers; if the leader indulges in vice, discipline will erode.

Historically, the greatest leaders have demonstrated strong self-command, resisting temptations, enduring hardship, or submitting to unpopular but necessary decisions. Their legitimacy stems as much from personal example as from position or office. For Rabelais, therefore, the task of ruling others demands first and foremost not the acquisition of external power, but a lifelong process of self-knowledge and self-control, without which all other authority is empty or fraught with danger.