One of the things about being the King for a people, is that you get blamed. Even for things that aren’t your fault. Even for things beyond your control. Even for crappy-ass reasons like, “I’m scared and pissed off and you, you’re in charge here, so I’ll vent my feelings against you.”
This is the challenging part of caring. If you demonstrate a concern for the wellbeing of the people in your people, they will start seeing their wellbeing as your concern. Start taking responsibility for how things go in a group, and people will start seeing you as responsible for how things go in a group.
This, right here, is what causes many people to back away from Kingship. Which is their right, of course. It’s totally legitimate to look at that deal and say, “Oh, hell no.”
Our society tells us that being King is awesome and everyone – well, everyone normal – wants to be one. “Every body wants to rule the world.” No, actually, they don’t. My experience tells me that most people are very reluctant to step into the job of King, and this consequence of the role is a primary reason why. People who, even knowing this consequence, are still willing to have authority rest on their shoulders are not at all that common.
Thanks. Those are good points.
Another relevant excerpt, from siderea’s analysis of Watership Down: