Power in this article would be discussed as the ability to influence people or things.
As a kid when I heard the word " power" I thought it was all about how much strength I had to defeat or pull down my fellow human, who maybe tried bullying me in school or whichever environment I find myself in. But growing up I got to find out that there is more to that word " power" than what I used to think as a little child…
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" Lord Action once said but recent research upends this adage.
We all know that power in the wrong hands can be really dangerous. At times it usually turns out that power does not lead to bad behaviors but I think that's on rare occasions. If power eventually doesn't corrupt the individual who holds it, it tends to create sensitivity to the needs of others but you see it's not that way in the world of today. We now have greed as the talk of the Town that no one, especially the leaders that have been put in that position of power, care about the necessary need of his/ her subject.
Power as British philosopher Betrand Rusell defined it is simply " the ability to produce intended effects".
I would like to lay out the underlying Dynamics at work and how power is really shifting, who has it, how it is distributed and where it is heading.
POWER: WHO HAS IT ??
I would love to depict power as a currency which is seen in the hands of a few people. Power once gained is guarded, closed and selfishly leader driven.
POWER: HOW IT IS DISTRIBUTED
To me, this 21st century distribution of power is more like a centralized thing. Cause I really don't see any distribution of power when the power lies in the hands of a few people. It ain't distributed but rather enforced cohesively on subjects which I see as total inhumanity.
POWER: WHERE IT IS HEADING
Looking at our present state today, power tends to have no specific directions due to selfishness that exists in the lives of the few that own it. People Generally had the notion that those with power would act more ethically than those without but truth is, they act less ethically. When I give a rethink on how power is used _ that is unethically_ obtaining a sense of power myself makes me more likely to cheat in a dice game. But coming to think of how it should be used _ ethically_ power made me less likely to cheat.
Who you are, your character and cultural background affects your approach to power. Contextual clues about how power should be used can be surprisingly effective in altering leadership behavior.
Some psychologists separate power, defined as the control of valued resources into two concepts ie. Power perceived as freedom and power perceived as responsibility. When you see power as a source of freedom you are likely to use it to serve yourself selfishly.
I would take an instance with the selfish leaders we have around the world today especially in Africa.
The leaders use the power bestowed on them selfishly due to the immunity of the law they have. Because of this freedom they tend to become ruthless, failing to see power as a responsibility.
I promise that if everyone could see power as a responsibility there is a tendency of selflessness.
"How you view power can affect how you use it".