Say - I Was Just Thinking (II) ...
That's right - time for another installment of one of my "Musings over my morning cup of coffee": (Updated below)
What is power?
We all know the saying: 'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'. However, how many among us actually realize that this adage is nothing more than an excuse for incompetence in wielding, or exercising, power?
For it is a fact that those individuals who are 'corrupted' by power are inevitably revealed at their core to be selfish, greedy, covetous, paranoid or fearful. Consequently, these use power expediently as a tool for the wasteful satisfaction of their every whim, want and need, or as a weapon to aim recklessly at their outwardly-projected inner demons.
In short: only incompetents abuse power.
Why is this so? Because, their petty minds are blind to the principle that factual power constitutes that which serves not only to better our own personal lives, but to improve those of others as well. We are indeed the keepers of our brothers, our sisters, our families, our relatives and our neighbors: this is a plain and simple verity, which also happens to define the very essence of Humanity.
It is not coincidence that incompetents invariably forget - or deny - such a fundamental truth.
What do you folks think?
What is power?
We all know the saying: 'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'. However, how many among us actually realize that this adage is nothing more than an excuse for incompetence in wielding, or exercising, power?
For it is a fact that those individuals who are 'corrupted' by power are inevitably revealed at their core to be selfish, greedy, covetous, paranoid or fearful. Consequently, these use power expediently as a tool for the wasteful satisfaction of their every whim, want and need, or as a weapon to aim recklessly at their outwardly-projected inner demons.
In short: only incompetents abuse power.
Why is this so? Because, their petty minds are blind to the principle that factual power constitutes that which serves not only to better our own personal lives, but to improve those of others as well. We are indeed the keepers of our brothers, our sisters, our families, our relatives and our neighbors: this is a plain and simple verity, which also happens to define the very essence of Humanity.
It is not coincidence that incompetents invariably forget - or deny - such a fundamental truth.
What do you folks think?
Update: Just one more (ongoing) example of what I mused about herein.
2 POVs/Comments:
What do I think? I think that those predisposed to be corrupted by power are those who usually to become corrupt with it, but that there are, nonetheless, some kinds of power that by their very nature are corruptive, encourage abuse, erode morality. For example, any time you don't have to answer for your actions and can maintain complete anonymity, like many intelligence agencies.
As for power, I always liked the definition that if A can make B do what B would not otherwise do, then A has power over B.
Nonetheless, it is the incompetent human being who will be "corrupted" and thus abuse power ...
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