The Damocles Reversal

The roles are the same. It’s the lesson that has been reversed.

In the original parable popularized by Cicero in 45 BCE, Damocles tries to flatter King Dionysius, praising his good fortune to have such power and be surrounded by opulence. The irritated king offers to switch places for a day so Damocles can see what it’s like to be king, and Damocles accepts.

But there is a catch. As Damocles sits on a golden couch, surrounded by servants and enthralled by the new sensations of wealth and authority, he notices a sword dangling above him, held in place only by a single hair from a horse’s tail.  Damocles abruptly begs to leave, deciding he no longer wants to be as fortunate as the king. 

The lesson, attributed to Cicero is obvious: “those in positions of power can never rest and truly enjoy that power.”

Times have changed. 

In the modern workplace, it’s still the leader still who offers spots to common employees. And there is still an uncertainty dangling over them in the form of whether they will lose their job, and thus their livelihood, status, identity, even healthcare for their family. 

But for the modern employee, this is no temporary situation. There is no chance to crawl out from under the sword as Damocles did. Rather, the constant threats lead to defensive behaviors and a host of stress-related illnesses. (The situation is described in detail by Stanford Prof. Jeffrey Pfeffer in Dying for a Paycheck.)

The employee’s income, well-being, and confidence are, in a phrase inspired by the parable, “hanging by a thread.” And there are no golden couches or servants to provide relief. 

The modern lesson isn’t about how tough it is to be king. It's about how tough it is to be everybody else. 

“The Sword of Damocles” by Richard Westall, Oil on canvas (1812)