ABSTRACT
To act or not to act-in many positions the choice means the difference between to be or not to be a business executive, a mutual fund manager, an officer or soldier, a researcher, a physician, an activist in a non-governmental organization, a politician, a public official, or even the president of country. The choice concerns whether and how to participate in a social process around the construction of ideas. For some it means stepping forth, claiming to be a leader with a following, particularly if the situation demands the confrontations or negotiations necessary to reach the agreements that form the fabric of society. Others prefer not acting-although one possible consequence is that they risk losing their role.
