Power

Many years ago Michael Korda wrote a book called “Power” which was all the rage in the business world.  It’s a very fascinating look at how people look at power, gain power and wield power.  Some of his anecdotes are particularly funny, like the one about the man who sawed the legs off the visitor chairs in his office so that he would look bigger and more threatening.

      Power is a curious thing and it is quite amazing to consider it in terms of who has it and who handles it well.  Thinking about power on a global scale I question whether any of our governing authorities handles power well, considering the state of the world.  I believe that the more perceived power one has the more oblivious that individual becomes to the people around them.  In effect, they become desensitized to those with less power.  For example, I read an article about how generals think in terms of battle.  The think in terms of numbers lost, not in terms of human casualty.  It’s easier for them to think “we are going to lose 200” rather than “200 young men and women are going to die as a result of this maneuver”.   

      Reading one man’s statement that he wanted to be president and asserts that every man wants the same I thought “really, they do?”  Why?  It is for the power and not because they want to make the world a better place.  On progressively smaller scales the power is less about subjugating others than about gaining money and more power.  An example would be how our appointed public officers grant themselves raises and bonuses, such as our health boards and city utilities board.

There are whole books written about power as theory but the bottom line is whether a person wants power for the sake of authority over others or power for the sake of change (preferably to the good).