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17.01.2025

The eternal battle between elegance and power: A reader’s reflection

Horvat II shares a poignant reflection on the tension between power and elegance, drawing parallels from history, art, and sports. How can modern men redefine manly qualities beyond dominance?

Catherine, Princess of Wales, with Roger Federer at Wimbledon 2023.

Photo credit: Getty Images



Letter from Mr. Horvat II.

Dear GC,

My name is Horvat II, and I'm from the U.S. Reading your article on the eternal tension between power and elegance stirred something in me. It made me think of my grandfather – a man who could command attention with a whispered word more effectively than others could with a shout.

Your exploration of this duality touches on a crisis at the heart of modern masculinity. We live in an age of chest-pounding LinkedIn posts and performative displays of success, yet something feels hollow about it all. I'm reminded of a recent gallery exhibition I attended in New York, where a single delicate brush stroke in a centuries-old painting held more raw power than all the bold, aggressive modern pieces surrounding it .

The parallel your writer drew between Rome and Greece particularly resonates. While Rome's legions conquered the known world, it was Greek philosophy, art, and architecture that conquered Rome itself. Even the mighty Romans Emperor found themselves adopting Greek customs, sending their children to Greek tutors, and measuring their own civilization against Greek ideals. The Roman Emperors even adopted Greek King - Alexander The Great - as their role model, instead of Prince Aeneas, the founder of Rome, which fled from Troy during the Trojan War.

In sports, we see this play out in real time. When Roger Federer announces his retirement, stadiums full of people weep . When the strongest power-hitter in tennis steps down, we merely note their statistics. Why? Because Federer gave us something beyond power – he showed us how athletic greatness could be balletic, even poetic.

This brings me to a question that keeps me awake at night: One day, before I drawing my last breath, what will flash before my eyes? Will it be the deals I strong-armed, the competitors I crushed, the moments of domination? Or will it be the times I chose elegance over power, when I lifted others up instead of pushing them down, when I created beauty over my speech, attire, code of conduct - instead of merely flexing strength?

I believe we're at a crossroads. Young men and aspiring executives today are bombarded with messages about dominance, about "crushing it," about power at all costs. Yet they're hungry for something more meaningful. They're searching for models of strength that don't require sacrificing their humanity.

How do we show them that true power often lies in restraint? That lasting influence comes not from how hard you can hit, but from how eloquently you can move through the world?

I would deeply value your thoughts on this. How do we begin to rewrite this narrative for the next generation?

 

With sincere appreciation for sparking this reflection,

John

Answer by The Gentleman:

Hi Mr. Horvat II,

Your letter arrived at a moment when our world seems to be grappling with the very essence of leadership and masculinity. Your thoughtful reflection on the interplay between power and elegance deserves an equally considered response, and we find ourselves drawn to what we believe is the perfect case study: President John F. Kennedy.

Consider, if you will, the pivotal moment of the Cuban Missile Crisis. While military advisers pushed for war, Kennedy chose restraint and diplomatic finesse. His elegant handling of this crisis prevented what could have been a catastrophic nuclear war. This wasn't weakness – it was power expressed through elegance.

You spoke of your grandfather's ability to command attention with a whisper rather than a shout. Kennedy possessed this same rare quality. While his successor, President Lyndon Johnson, achieved remarkable legislative victories through dominant posture and raw political force – the Civil Rights Act, the Great Society programs – it was Kennedy's style, dignity and refinement that continue to captivate our collective memory.

 

"If more politicians knew poetry, and more poets knew politics, I am convinced the world would be a little better place in which to live."  -- Speech at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 14 June 1956. Papers of John F. Kennedy. Pre-Presidential Papers. Senate Files, Box 895, "Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 14 June 1956." John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.


The Kennedy White House transformed American cultural life. Jackie Kennedy's renovation of the White House and their patronage of the arts weren't mere decoration – they were statements about American sophistication and cultural depth. The Kennedy administration elevated American style to an art form, proving that true power lies not in domination but in inspiration.

Your observation about the Roman emperors adopting Greek culture particularly resonates here. Like those emperors who recognized the enduring influence of Greek civilization, Kennedy understood that America's true strength lay not just in its military might or economic power, but in its cultural and moral leadership.

To address your midnight question about what flashes before our eyes in our final moments – Kennedy's tragic end offers a powerful lesson. We don't remember him for the wars he might have waged or the opponents he could have crushed. We remember him for the wars he prevented, the arts he championed, and the dignity with which he carried himself.

For today's young executives and leaders drowning in "power" culture, Kennedy's example offers a different path. He showed that one can be both powerful and graceful, both decisive and thoughtful. His presidency demonstrates that elegance isn't antithetical to strength – it's the highest expression of it.

To rewrite this narrative for the next generation, we must first help them understand that true legacy isn't built on domination but on elevation – of discourse, of culture, of human dignity. Kennedy didn't just run a country; he inspired a generation to look to the stars, to serve their nation, to pursue excellence in all forms.

In response to your final question about rewriting this narrative, perhaps we start by sharing stories like Kennedy's – and yes, like your grandfather's. We need to celebrate leaders who understand that power without elegance is mere force, while elegance without power is mere decoration. The sweet spot lies in their synthesis.

The modern executive's challenge isn't to choose between power and elegance, but to achieve what Kennedy did: to wield power with such grace that it elevates rather than diminishes, inspires rather than intimidates, and builds rather than destroys.

Thank you, Mr. Horvat, for inspiring this reflection. Your letter reminds us that in an age of shouting, sometimes the whispered word carries the most weight.

 

"There is a connection, hard to explain logically but easy to feel, between achievement in public life and progress in the arts. The age of Pericles was also the age of Phidias. The age of Lorenzo de Medici was also the age of Leonardo da Vinci. The age Elizabeth also the age of Shakespeare. And the New Frontier for which I campaign in public life, can also be a New Frontier for American art." --John F. Kennedy

 

Warmest regards,

The Gentleman

READ: Keeping up With the Kennedys: An Elitist History

 

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