Michael sat in the back of his expensive luxury car. It wasn't moving because he had already arrived at his destination. He was here for one thing, and one thing only.

Your bloodline used to mean something in these Streets! What's the matter?!  - Matty

The paper was in crisp condition. Any sudden movements and he could cut open a portal from thin air. That's how sharp the paper was. Michael had ironed it before framing it last night. No stains. No creases. He wanted it to remain in mint condition. He had no idea where it came from, and how it arrived in his pants pocket. Michael's palms were sweaty, while he wiped the vomit remains of his mother's spaghetti off his sweater. It had been ages since doing this but it was time to give the people what they wanted. They wanted Michael. And Michael, somehow, had an unlimited supply of Michael. He opened the door and stood on the nearest bench.

Alexander The Great. Ghengis Khan. Marcus Aurelius. Damnit, even the late great PropertyManager. Has anyone noticed a pattern here? These are all men who held extreme power. Whether the power was given to them, or earned, that's an entirely different conversation. You see, the topic at hand isn't about power itself. It's about the things that follow AFTER you've done whatever you had to do to gain power. The mental battle that no one notices.

Acquiring power through love or fear has been shown to us many times over. As an active contributor to the crime in Chicago, I can attest that one name still continues to send shivers down people's spine. Alphonse Capone. A mere mention of the name can cause men who have never left the country to have World War II-esque PTSD episodes. The mention of the name alone brings many famous escapades of violence to mind. Was it the mysterious murder of James Colosimo, whose crime family was conveniently taken over and placed Scarface in the Right Hand seat? How about the death of another crime boss, Dean O'Banion, for his inability to trust his allies' skills? Maybe, just maybe, it was the hundreds of people killed during the mid 1920s for working with others outside of The Chicago Outfit. Whether his violent demeanor was really just a blanket for psychotic behavior, or an unchecked business strategy used for intimidation, the public took notice and made it their business to always tread lightly. To those that defied the strong hand and dared challenge the throne? February 14^th, 1929. Enough said.

However, on the same token, there are many instances where the name can be used to bring up jovial times. Times when neighborhoods needed hope, a helping hand, a savior, and it was none other than Al Capone to do that very job. In 1930 Snorky opened up one of the first soup kitchens in Chicago. The Great Depression that affected everyone could now be weathered a little lighter. The offer of 3 free meals a day to the unemployed served thousands daily before being shutdown. His brute force was used in a positive way to lean on government and corporate big wigs for lack of expiration dates, which led to launching a program dedicated to donating free milk to school children. His enthusiasm to pay for medical bills, for coal, and giving no strings attached money to local widows and families due to the influx of crime was unmatched.

Here is a man who wanted the shadows to fear him, but the light to love him. Unfortunately, when you flip the coin it can't land on both sides. Such actions were only viewed as public relation stunts to save his own hiney. Was it? Some would argue these were genuine acts. Others would argue that the monster was just trying to avoid complete hatred. Al Capone himself would say, "You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone."

However, this Thing of Ours haven't only showcased monsters. We've also been given glimpses of empires being built from love. Many would concur that love could get you killed, but one man may beg to differ. Someone a lot closer to home and very familiar amongst us all. The late, great ToyArmadillo. Ah yes. Here was a man who sat back for weeks, months even, but when he hit the ground he never stopped rolling. To those who have read the journals or heard the stories, you would know Toaly was very much anti-war. Not one to be a push over though, he looked the other way when it was time to hulk smash. And there was a lot of hulk smashing in that era. When ToyArmadillo felt he was too old to call the shots anymore, or felt like he'd seen enough death, betrayal, enough politics? He handed the keys over and moved to Miami. Was anyone afraid to take the shot? Or did the love from the masses grant him a bulletproof lifestyle?

It's hard to argue that this method of leadership didn't work when his principles gave way to set up the very next regime. The regime that my great(x20)-grandfather was able to witness with his own eyes. The regime that the SpikeSpiegel bloodline still has a hard on for, and swears everyone is under their thumb.

Ladies, gentlemen, and of course Jest. Today you gather before me because I have a question. A question that has been asked many times with an answer that only matters right before you go to sleep. In this thing of ours, is it better to be feared or loved?

Personally, I think the question misses a third option. Fear can keep people in line, but it rarely survives weakness. Love can inspire loyalty, but sooner or later every leader makes a decision that disappoints someone.

I believe it is better to be respected. The people who only fear you will look for the exits when your position weakens. The people who only love you may struggle when your decisions contradicts their desires and are forced to choose between their feelings and your decisions. Respect tends to outlast both. A good leader should be fair enough to earn trust, strong enough to make difficult decisions, and consistent enough that people know where they stand. If those things are present, whether people love you or fear you becomes far less important.

Eventually, most leaders are forgotten. In my opinion, the ones remembered are usually those whose decisions people respected long after they were gone.

That's the thing Archy. Just because you aren't a leader, or in a leadership position, should that hinder people from fearing or loving you?

That's the thing, Michael. I don't believe a title is required for people to be loved or feared or show a good example.

Leaders may have the authority to turn those feelings into policy, but every person leaves an impression. Some earn admiration through their conduct, others earn fear through their reputation, and most simply pass through unnoticed. So again, I think it’s more about earning people’s respect than their fear or love.

Some of the most influential people this community has seen never sat in the highest chair. Their impact came from what they contributed, the people they helped, and the example they set long before they were given bold suits or leadership positions. People may forget the title a person held, but they often remember how that person carried themselves long after the title is gone.

I dont know the answer

All I know is Ashleigh loves me and fears KingTootzarootz

I want people to be afraid of how much they love me

It is better to be respected and merely loved. Love can fade while fear breeds resentment - respect endures.

Neither are worth chasing in my opinion. Both seem to put far too much importance on what other people think of you for my liking, If you're feared people behave differently while you're around. If you're loved, people think fondly of you until you inevitably do something they don't like,

I'd rather just do what I want to do, treat people how I think they deserve to be treated based on their actions and words and let them decide for themselves how they feel about me, you can't change either so why bother wasting mental energy on it.

Neither. Respect is far more important. How one carries themselves determines one's level of being loved or feared.  

sometimes i fear love and sometimes i love fear, they balance eachother out from time to time and seem to bring an equilibrium to life in general as well as how not only myself and ohers percieve me. I embrace the duality of life such in a way that one can never be what they want to be when it comes to being feared or loved

I need, I feel a love
You love to love the fear
I never wanna be alone
I've forgotten to

Fear in our way of life.

As Godfather Bruiser takes his daily stroll after just leaving the deli, he notices a group of people standing on the street corner discussing weather it is better to be feared or loved.  This made Bruiser stop and listen to the discussion.  When a break in the conversation occurred Bruiser looked around and begin to give his thoughts on the matter.

Is it better to be loved or feared?  I, myself, believe it is a fine balance and you must possess both.  On the one hand, if you are too loved by friends and foe, than those people may feel you can be taken advantage of, perhaps motivated and/or moved around like a pond.  But you also need the love of friends and family.  In this way of life, you are nothing if you do not have the aforementioned. 

Now on the flip side, to be overly feared could lead to paranoia or just plain hatred.  Neither of these are ideal but, you also should instill some fear in your foe.  Not exactly fear of you as a person, but fear of the unknown.  Fear of the unexpected.  "What will this guy do if I do this, sorta thing."

Again, I believe it is a fine line and one, especially a leader, should possess a bit of both.

Godfather Bruiser pulls out a cannoli and the newspaper from the bag he is carrying.  

Gentleman I wish you a good day, I have things to do today.

I'm glad someone finally said it. 

You two nerds need to relax. LonelyWolf is out in the streets actively engaging every day while 99% of the community can't be bothered. His English is just a little broken because he's a true Italian mafia man. Keep it up, LW. You can safely ignore these two finger-sniffers.