Esse Quam Videri

My school motto is Esse Quam Videri.

Around the time I was there in the eighties and early nineties, it was (and still is) a prominent all-boys institution with a large boarding contingent. The school has consistently produced many excellent sportsmen and scholars, some of whom have gone on to represent their country (and others) in sports such as rugby, cricket, athletics and even gymkhana.

I probably didn’t take the motto very seriously - I knew what it meant, and its significance, but in the typical insouciant way of teenagers, I thought I knew it all, and that I was slightly above all that highbrow Latin ‘stuff’ and just wanted to get on with my life. At the time I possibly slightly resented the strictness and discipline at the school, with its traditions and rules, and the mantras of ‘success for life’ passed on by the earnest teachers.

However, as time has gone by, and the arrogance of youth has faded, I’ve come to realise that I did absorb the lessons and philosophies given to me, and what felt like preaching at the time was valuable advice that has served me well and formed the ‘moral’ backbone of what I am today.

Esse Quam Videri means ‘To be, rather than to seem’. What initially appears to be a rather simple motto is quite profound. The simplest things often are. And in truth, rather difficult to put into practice consistently every day.

Simply put, ‘To be rather than to seem’ to me means the following: to be truthful, to be yourself and to mean everything you say. In other words, it is the epitome of integrity.

I’d love to say that I have always followed this motto to the letter, but that would be a lie. Like everyone else, I am human, with all the frailties and failings of the human condition. There are times when I’ve told white lies, lacked the courage to stand up for something or someone I believed in, or avoided a situation for fear of conflict. And I’m sure most of us have done this and still do.

The reason I mention all this is because I honestly believe that being, rather than seeming to be, is still extremely important today, possibly more important than ever. In a world that ever more so values the material, the fleeting, the celebrity, the winner at all costs, I think we need people who can make a stand for what they truly believe in, and can do the right thing, no matter how hard.

How often do we see grifting politicians spouting half-truths, businessmen professing to care about society, when most of the time they are focused on lining their own pockets? Who can be believe and trust these days?

It is easy to become cynical, which is why Esse Quam Videri means so much to me. I can hold myself accountable, and despite my failings, continue to try to be the best version of myself that I can be.

What about in our professional and business lives? We hear a lot about ‘build back better’, ‘net zero’, and all the myriad nuggets of truth that get spouted forth by leaders and politicians. But how serious are they? Do they really mean it? Are they being, rather than seeming to be?

Lots of questions, not so many answers, but I believe the truth lies within every one of us. And to make a difference in society, big things must start from small. In other words, it needs to start within. One must take personal accountability first, before expecting it in others, and in that way the truth grows, and we can experience change for the good across all sections of our societies and in our workplaces and communities.