Alkahest my heroes have always died at the end

I’m not certain if I’ve joked about it here or not, but recently I’ve taken to commenting that if academic politics are so petty because the stakes are so small, then what does that say about non-profit politics.  The implication is that non-profit politics are even more petty because the stakes are even smaller.  Well, after a rough couple of weeks with the non-profit I work with, I can confirm that the politics are definitely petty, I’m just no longer certain that the stakes are small.  In one sense, sure – the budget for the non-profit I work with is smaller than any other budget I’ve dealt with in a work situation.  But at the same time, the politics most often affects people’s livelihoods.  It’s one thing to have a layoff due to lack of funds.  It’s another thing for poor management and personal vendettas leading to a firing.

The moral of the story is this: never get involved in a land war in Asia the board of directors for a non-profit.  It’ll steal all of your time, consume all of your money and break your heart in the end.