"The politician is an acrobat. He keeps his balance by saying the opposite of what he does"

Maurice Barres offers a sharp critique of political behavior through a vivid metaphor, comparing the politician to an acrobat. An acrobat is admired for balance, poise, and the constant adjustment to shifting circumstances, relying on agility and showmanship to survive on a tightrope. The politician, in Barres’s vision, relies on similar skills, yet instead of physical feats, the balancing act takes place in the political sphere, involving words and actions.

By suggesting that a politician "keeps his balance by saying the opposite of what he does", Barres exposes a perceived dissonance between political rhetoric and actual decisions. Politicians, he implies, use their words strategically, often to placate, reassure, or manipulate different groups of people, regardless of their real intentions. The ability to promise one thing while enacting another becomes vital for political survival. Words work as a safety net; they allow the politician to appeal to the widest possible audience, shielding themselves from criticism or backlash, since they can always claim alignment with one position or another.

This contradiction has deep implications for public trust and the authenticity of leadership. If those entrusted with power regularly present a public face that is fundamentally at odds with their true actions, the democratic process risks cynicism and disengagement from the populace. People become wary of political promises, suspecting that performance trumps principle. The acrobat’s performance, admired for its skill and daring, loses its magic when perceived as trickery rather than art. Similarly, the politician’s rhetorical dexterity is admirable only when it serves higher ideals, not mere self-preservation.

Barres’s observation highlights an uncomfortable tension: the more skillful the political acrobatics, the greater the danger that deception is normalized. Ultimately, he provokes reflection on the values of integrity, honesty, and transparency in public life, warning of the perils that arise when the art of balance is achieved at the cost of truth.