Thoughts of an Idle Mind, Part 2: Power

What is power? As a noun, power is “the ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as a faculty or quality”, and “the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events”.?Webster has a few others that all connect to authority, right, or capacity.

Under this definition, don’t we all have power? Don’t we all have “the ability to do something or act in a particular way”? Don’t we all have “the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events”? Sure we do. You need only to look at TikTok, Instagram, or any other social media platform that allows a complete stranger to convince countless others to do something. It happens every day, at every second of the day. We call it “trending” and “going viral”, but the truth is those strangers are exercising their power. Any time a person has to come to you for something or depends on you for something, that is them recognizing your power, for whatever you provide them can direct or influence their behavior or the course of events in their life.

The first instance of power being exacted on us was in the home, and from our parents. As you will see in many of my conversations, the home is where much of what we know and who we are is started. Our parents give us directions and compel us - or coerce us, whichever word works for you - to do as they believe we should do. They tell us when to sleep, what to wear, how to speak, who to talk to, where to go, and so on. And when we choose to rebel and defy them, we are exercising our power, even as children. Indeed, it is as children that we experience and practice the execution of true power. We obey out of fear, fear of the consequences, and when that fear is no longer there, we rebel. Now, fear may be a strong word for most folks, but it is exactly that however other way you choose to dress it up. Whether it’s fear of physical harm (getting a beating), fear of emotional trauma (getting yelled at), fear of the unknown (self explanatory), fear of discomfort (being denied access or privileges), or fear of disappointment (not wanting to let down those you love or depend on you), fear is what compels us to obey, to acquiesce, or to accept the power of others over us. In the absence of fear, however, we are willing to use the most powerful word ever created: NO.

So if everyone has power, why do people feel powerless? In short, it’s because no one says “no”. And that’s because no one really knows the power that they have. And that’s because we are all taught that power comes from an external source, like the law, the government, money, weapons, or title. This is completely false, of course, as all power rests within the individual. It is the individual that gives all other things meaning. The law, government, money, weapons, and titles are concepts, abstract ideas given meaning or a physical form by us. We create, use, sustain, and destroy these concepts whenever we feel like it. Laws change, governments crumble, money loses value, weapons are dismantled, and titles are abandoned every day, and have done so all throughout history, yet people have remained. It is we, the very source of power, individually and collectively, that gives power to all other things.

Can power be taken? No. Power can only be given away. As human beings we are born with innate power, and no other person or thing can take that power from us. I know, in everyday life we see police exercise their power over us, we see people being stripped of their rights, and we people denied access to basic necessities. All of these are accurate observations, but, as in most things, context is key. As individuals, we give up some of our power to the collective for the benefits of the collective, even if we didn’t know that we did. Think of it like this: The United States is a collection of 50 independent powers that have agreed to give up some of their authority/power to a central government for certain benefits that they may not have been able to get if they remained independent. We saw this in the European Union and the ultimate departure of the United Kingdom. The concept is exactly the same. Individuals are no different from the states. If fifty people come together to create a community, they would do so by creating a list of rules by which the community will live and each person would understand what they must give up in order to get the benefits of being part of that community. We actually do this every day. If you join a union at your job, you give up the power to do certain activities or take certain actions in exchange for the union's benefits. What you give up may be small or inconsequential, but you are still giving it up. Being a citizen of a community or country affords you many benefits, but it also compels you to obey the laws. Failure to obey comes with consequences, so long as you wish to continue to be a citizen of that community/country. Some people also call this the Social Contract. So no, power is never taken.

Can power be shared? Absolutely. Since we each have power, we must all learn to share it so that things can be accomplished. In other words, not everyone can be in charge, someone has to be able to follow. When two individuals are talking and at any time one of them stops to listen, the one listening is recognizing the power of the other to be heard and the one speaking is exercising their power to speak and be heard. In a scenario like this, the power exchanges between the participants, each one recognizing the other as the one to be heard. Not everyone can be talking, someone has to listen. Power sharing allows for progress, since it gives each of us accountability and a responsibility to the outcome. By giving someone or something power, doesn’t mean you’ve given up your power, not completely at least. It simply means that in order to achieve a goal, I must allow you the opportunity to exert power over me in this particular instance or instances. Of course, we don’t think of it in this way at all. No one would ever think a conversation is a sharing of power, but it essentially is just that. The congregation of a church does it every Sunday, giving up their power, if only for an hour and for a sermon, to the pastor. For that one hour on Sunday, the pastor has your attention, he compels you to give up a tithing, and he lifts you to your feet in song and prayer. He has the power because you are obedient. Conversely, you are not obedient because he has the power.

What about dictatorships? Just to be clear, a dictator isn’t by definition a “bad” person, however, in common practice, the label is never given to a benevolent ruler. The Pope is as much a dictator of the Vatican as Augusto Pinochet was of Chile. Dictatorships survive through influence, much like any other political character. Since the people have already agreed to be citizens, they have agreed to go along with the government’s actions. Dictators, since they have absolute power, must keep certain groups happy in order to maintain such control. Oftentimes, dictators use successful tactics that convince the citizens that they are powerless. Still, if enough people lose faith in the government and wish to void their social contract, they can overthrow a government, dictator or not, and start over again. This fact has been proven throughout history. Authoritarian governments have toppled all because the people said “no”.

In summary, no matter how much power others may have, we must always remember that we have just as much. The power we have can never be taken, but we give it up in a variety of instances in exchange for other benefits that we find as, or more, important. At any time, we each can reclaim our power simply by saying, “no”.

TO BE CONTINUED . . .