Creative Rebellion Essays: Power

My wife, daughter and I have been watching the wonderful period-piece comedy “The Great” on Hulu (full disclosure, I work for Hulu but this is my personal taste) which is loosely based on Catherine the Great’s ascent to power as Empress of Russia (1762 - 1796). Without giving away too much, there is a moment in the series which it appears that her husband, Emperor Peter III is about to die and the question of who will ascend the throne comes to the fore: the Emperor’s half-brother Ivan or Catherine. Power to rule over millions of people hangs in the balance. And it made me think again about the notion of power and how it is simultaneously a very real thing but also a completely abstract notion based upon a collective agreement, a social contract, between humans. Clearly this is biological as well, since similar power hierarchies are seen in the animal kingdom, and this behavior must bring forward some underlying advantages for surviving in the world. A tyrant, like Emperor Peter, behaves terribly and yet his court (which outnumbers him) stands by and watches him passively – each member terrified that if they do something, no one else will support them, and they, in turn, will be attacked, murdered or banished. 

The question of power, how to get it, how to maintain it, and how to wield it has been an area of fascination since the ascent of man. It makes sense. Power increases status and money and the ability to thrive. Or so it has been assumed. 

The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli wrote in the 16th century about political philosophy and political science. He was brutally direct about how one ascends to power and maintains it through the influence of social contracts of Church (controlling matters of the soul) and State (controlling matters of the body and mind). Machiavelli accepted the horrible behavior of those in power as necessary evils to maintain order and prosperity for the masses. 

Robert Greene wrote The 48 Laws of Power in 1998, whose fans evidently include Kanye West and Jay Z. Much like The Prince, this book (as well as other books by Greene) have been considered at times amoral and nihilistic by various reviewers given the chapter titles like: “Annihilate your Enemy” (law 15), “Set up a Phony Choice) (law 31) and “Use Money as a Tool” (chapter 40). According to the book, power is the ability to influence those around through appearances. Again, much like Machiavelli, Greene considers these to be just a reflection of reality, not necessarily an endorsement on his part (evidently he’s a student of Zen – which isn’t too paradoxical as Zen was the main philosophy of the samurai warriors). 

What’s interesting to me, is that both books reflect the world as it is, rather than how it should or could be. A world based on might-makes-right and deception. This is clearly reflected in the current political climate we are experiencing. This is the inherited story of our ancestors and forebears – the world is brutal and you need to get what’s yours. But this collective pause we are experiencing due to the pandemic has made me wonder if we can’t make a new story based upon practical optimism. Being an optimist is often considered unrealistic as if being negative was the only real lens through which to see the state of things. The problem with a negative narrative is that it doesn’t allow for creative thinking. Creativity shuts down in a fear-based environment. In stress, our amygdala fires up (the emotional center of our brains) and our frontal lobes (logic, cognitive control) diminishes – this makes sense for a fight or flight situation. If a bear is attacking you, you need to run like hell. But we are rarely chased by literal bears anymore. The new bear is the constant onslaught of negativity in our news and social media.

An example of a simpler way to conduct oneself in the world with integrity was captured in The Four Agreements (1997) by Don Miguel Ruiz.

1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Don't take anything personally.
3. Don't make assumptions.
4. Always do your best.

I encourage you to read the book (or re-read it) during these pandemic times. Whether you are a die-hard skeptic or spiritual adherent, these Toltec oral teachings still resonate as practical ways to move through the world. 

My personal belief is that one gains true power by giving it away. The more you empower and help those around you, the more true power you attain – a power that isn’t concentrated in oneself and one’s ego, but one that radiates outwards to encourage others to assume their own innate power. I believe that if everyone on this planet realizes their own innate power, rather than needing to bow down to symbols of authority, then we will be a world of individuals who can actually help one another. We won’t be in the constant battle of trying to take power from another. Rather we will be in the more exciting and productive state of empowering ourselves and those around us to create together. 

Too idealistic? Perhaps. Optimistic? Most definitely.  

FORGET THE ACQUISITION OF POWER. JUST RADICALLY BE YOURSELF. LIVE IN THE MOMENT. BE CREATIVELY ENGAGED. 

That is true power.

John

“If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”

 ― David Bowie

What I’m watching:

The Great – by Tony McNamara is an outstanding black-comedy-drama that features brilliant performances by Elle Fanning (who does a flawless British accent) as Empress Catherine and Nicholas Hoult as the idiotic and psychopathic Emperor Peter III. It’s loosely based on history but is, again, really a story of the ascendancy of Catherine to power in a time of corruption, politics, and sycophantic behavior – the eternal themes of humanity. 

A River Runs Through It – directed by Robert Redford (1992), starring Brad Pitt, this movie is a languid memoir about two brothers growing up in Montana in the early 1900’s. Weirdly enough I’d never seen this movie before – a visual poem set against the beauty of the roaring river as the brothers fly-fished with their father.

Legends of the Fall – directed by Ed Zwick (1994), again starring Brad Pitt, and also set in Montana in the early part of the 20th century and also about the relationship between brothers, this is another movie I’d never seen. Much more dramatic and epic than A River Runs Through It but the real star for me was the magnificent landscape of Montana – a state I’ve never visited but feel I need to once the pandemic lifts.

What I’m reading:

In Praise of Shadows – by Tanizaki Junichiro. I’m re-reading this brilliant little tome which contrasts West and East, in terms of aesthetics. The “shadows” refer to the nuance of light as it plays across the Japanese landscape of architecture, food, beauty and drama. The soft shadow play is in contrast to the bright, hard-edged light of western thinking. Consider it a contrast between the exquisitely worn sheen of Wabi Sabi and the electric light of modernity and technology.

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