YAROSLAVL, December 13. /TASS/. Anyone can take the helm of a country if they dedicate their entire life to this cause, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an open lesson during the Proyektoria technology forum.
"Anyone can become president, regardless of their profession, but as a rule, people who have law or economy background become heads of state, as they are familiar with social processes and laws, as well as with people-to-people interaction. This kind of professional knowledge and skills are relevant and useful," Putin noted. "But again, in fact, persons with any professional background can become heads of state and prime ministers," he added.
In this regard, Putin mentioned some big European countries headed by physicists. "There also are people with other professional knowledge and skills, but the most important thing is that if people choose this path, they must make a decision whether they are ready to dedicate their entire life - or at least, a large part of their life - to the cause," the Russian president stressed.
According to him, another important thing is to abide by the medical principle of "do no harm." "A person who does not empathize with patients cannot be a good doctor. A doctor has to love patients, go deep into their problems and try to solve them as if they were his or her own. The same goes for prime ministers… and presidents," Putin said.
He noted that all children could set ambitious goals for themselves but it is not necessary to become presidents to achieve success. "Einstein wasn’t a president. If you randomly point to a place on the world map and ask who is the president or the prime minister of a certain country, you will be likely to know nothing about them but everyone in the world knows Einstein," Putin explained. He suggested that school students pursue the goals that interest them the most as it is the key to personal success that the country’s prosperity depends on.