Ma'ar has gotten a lot better at thinking carefully before he says anything in class, but this is startling enough that he raises his hand before he can catch himself. 

"- Wait, why? What's the specific bad thing it does?" 

A sigh. "Power is corrupting. And - the drive to seek power is a dangerous sign. In anyone, really, but us mages can cause far more damage by our actions, and so we bear a greater duty to be appropriately careful - to have the humility required not to abuse the power we already have, let alone seek to concentrate even more of it in ourselves." 

Ma'ar isn't following that at all! He...takes a deep breath, and nods and tries to look politely thoughtful, and Mindspeaks Azabel. 

:- Did that make sense to you?:

:No. We're already a monarchy. Maybe he also wants us not to be a monarchy?: She raises her hand.

"Yes, Azabel?" 

"Is this special to mages in specific somehow, or do you think this argument extends to decentralizing power by phasing out the monarchy and other stuff like that?"

Urtho looks pleased. "What a good question! I think that Tantara's leadership does not centralize power nearly as much as the Ceej - this school is not a political institution, it is not the case here that most mages are conscripted to work for the King - but, yes, I think there is a strong case to be made for placing less power in the hands of a single monarch. There are also difficulties in changing the state of affairs that everyone is used to, though, and - well, it is not really my place to try to reform the political leadership of Tantara. That in itself would be - seeking to exert more power and influence over the world than a single person ought." 

"Where does that bottom out? Like, right now you're talking to us about this opinion and if someone is inspired and goes and lobbies the king to add an elected council or something, that's not you doing it but it's an effect you have."

Urtho seems a little nonplussed by this. "...No, I think the role of a teacher, in encouraging young people to think and debate ideas, is entirely different from personally seeking control over a country's future." 

:- Aza, I'm still trying to figure out if - the thing he's trying to say is that wanting to change things in the world is bad? Because that would be really stupid but it sort of sounds like what he's saying!:

:I'm getting there! If I don't get that far before the end of class I will show up at his office: "You're an especially powerful mage and you also do this whole Tower thing but do you think the argument applies to people with weaker Gifts?"

Urtho frowns. Considers it for a while. "...Less so, perhaps? And - I suppose I can imagine a person who happens to be born with mage-gift, but whose temperament is much better suited to, say, being mayor of a city, and...it seems a little unfortunate if their mage-gift does not see as much use, but it would not be morally wrong of them to instead focus on what they are passionate about, and not all mages are passionate about the study and teaching of magic. Just, I - think that the hunger for power for its own sake is not a healthy human trait, and - mages can be more tempted toward it than most." 

"I haven't noticed anything that looked like that when I look at people's minds, can you explain more how mages are more tempted?"

Urtho seems to consider this a very self-evident question. "Well, we can already do things that most people cannot, right? This by itself gives us a certain authority, especially since magic is so key to most countries' functioning. Those who are not mages will defer to mages on questions of magic, since they are not the experts and we are. In itself this is perfectly fine, of course, and it is not unhealthy in itself for being respected and listened to, to feel good, but - the problem is that can easily make a person used to deference, expecting it in other areas as well, even ones where they are not and should not be the expert authority. Does that make sense?" 

"Healers are also very important, and people listen to them in their domain of expertise," says Aza. "Do you feel this way about Healers?"

"I would feel much more this way about Healers if there were countries where it was common for Healers to dominate the political leadership! ...I do think it is less a concern, there, because everyone understands Healing-Gift and healing expertise to be limited to the specific area of curing sick and injured people, and one hears of mage-warlords claiming territories in the north, but not of Healing-warlords." 

"In countries where neither mage-warlords nor magic-based inheritance law are common, do you think the danger is that we will notice those things exist abroad and think they're good ideas because they favor us, or is it something else?"

"Hmm. I - think that is a large part of it, but also even here mages tend to be treated as - more special, than those with other Gifts." His lips twitch. "Perhaps with the exception of Mindhealers, who are very special and rare indeed." 

"And you think this special treatment tends to go to people's heads, and they start expecting that they'll be good leaders in general without other reason to think so?"

"Yes, approximately. Not for everyone, of course, but enough." 

"How can someone tell if they are one of those people besides whether they think they have good political ideas?"

"Oh. Hmm. I suppose if they feel that becoming very powerful - being the sort of person who commands armies, who can shape the world and lives of those around them whenever they think it is a good idea - sounds very appealing." 

Ma'ar is not saying anything and also not interrupting Azabel but this is taking a lot of willpower. 

"Are people better at those things if they hate them?"

"- I mean, probably not if they hate them, but...I think it is a bad sign if a King is too fond of wielding power, enough that it would be tempting to do it on a whim rather than only when necessary. I - suppose that probably it is healthiest for leaders to be neutral on the matter?"