It is very rare to find a public figure who does not appear intoxicated by his position, truly believing that he can influence, alter, control, determine, and lead. To understand the significance of this state, one need only contrast it with that of the religious man, whose faith is usually the result of a more or less lengthy process that begins with the realization of complete powerlessness in the face of creation. Before moving even a speck of dust, he is aware that his action will never have more than a very limited scope, and will be good only if it conforms to a will that transcends his own. That first man lives in isolation and delusion, ignores the world, and stirs up the worst in his nature—but the day comes when nature teaches him a lesson.