Aanshi Shah Week #12 - The Power of Power
The appeal of power and the subsequent desire to obtain it is a shaping force. For all of human history, hunter-gatherer tribes, kingdoms, and countries have viciously fought to increase their power. People of all religions revere God because of the sheer might and power their God has. It is well documented that monarchies were fraught with conniving politics and even the murder of one’s own family, all to rule the nation. The desire to have more - land, people, influence - pervades the motivations of most actions.
Even in current day society, the desire for power is ingrained in practically every person. We have a whole industry based on superhero stories - people that have abilities that give them more influence, or power. Being a leader is one of the most respected positions in society, from the line leader in second grade being respected, college admissions factoring in your demonstrated leadership, to the fan bases that gravitate towards political parties. Simply put, the very idea of power is one of the most, if not the most, prominent concept in humanity.
Power as a device to enact change is a warranted desire, but wanting power simply to be powerful makes little practical sense. For example, if a king’s brother kills him and takes the throne, what benefit will that man gain? Other than now being responsible for a whole kingdom, his personal life will change very little. He would have lived a royal life regardless of if he was the king or not. I don’t know if there is a definitive answer, but in my opinion, the desire for power stems from fear. Having control allows a person to dictate the outcome of any situation, and exempts them from being subject to someone else’s decisions. However, the real motive is likely much more complex than that.
Hey Aanshi! I really enjoyed your blog this week on the power of power. I thought your title was really interesting as you chose to explore the essence of power itself rather than observing its influence through avenues such as music or language. I particularly appreciated the way you structured your blog. Your style made me want to keep reading to discover more about your perspective.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that power is an innate desire for many of us, almost an inborn characteristic that we cannot shake. I laughed at your humorous tone with the mention of being “line leader” in second grade. I actually had a similar line in the first draft of my blog, but I had to cut it down for the word count. It’s definitely interesting to consider how positions of power have been coveted by us and marketed as desirable since as far back as elementary school.
Overall, I had a great time reading your blog and I enjoyed the hypothetical scenario you provided at the end to display a concrete example of your claim. Great work!
Hello Aanshi! I enjoyed reading your blog from this week as it gives much insight into how different types of power are similar in that people always desire to obtain it; indeed, no matter if its political power, military power, economic power, social power, or the countless others unnamed there are many who fight and indeed kill for such powers. I really liked the question you posed in the last paragraph of what do people actually gain from being more powerful? Indeed, in most cases it is hard to say if having more power would actually make your life better or more fulfilling. But I do have an answer to that somewhat - any type of “power” is ultimately the ability to impact your surroundings - so having more power gives you more control of your life. Indeed, if a person’s desire was to simply live in conflict as royalty, staying as a minor prince would be a perfectly fine life. But if they wish to revolutionize their nation, they need to seize power to have the power to affect change. Still, it brings up an interesting dilemma, for the next time that you desire more money to consider if and how that would improve your life. I look forward to reading more of your writing for the next topic, language and power.
ReplyDeleteHi Aanshi! I definitely agree that power leads to high respect. I never thought about how small amounts of power given to individuals start from such a young age as a child, whether it is in second grade as a group project leader or as a line leader, so your perspective on this definitely opened my eyes to think in a broader aspect. I also like your interesting take on superheroes because when we read about these leaders, our fascination comes from pure admiration because of the power that they hold as people who can rescue others. I agree with your take on how power originates from fear because people look to acquire more leadership positions due to status in order to gain more security and control over their lives. Power definitely can be abused in order to favor someone's desires and to instill fear in others rather than helping people, and it is the duty of these people in power to use it in the best manner. Power comes with responsibility because they must recognize that their actions are not only affecting themselves but also the people around them.
ReplyDeleteHi Aanshi. I really liked your blog about power of power, and I think that was a very creative title. I fully agree with you that throughout the years, people have been on the hunt for power, no matter how far they had to go to get it. I fully agree that power motivates people to do things that they normally won't do. I really liked the part where you talked about how a king's brother could kill the king to get the throne. The only thing that the brother gains is the throne, but also a dead brother, while also have a guilty mind every time he sits on the throne because he knows what he had to do to be where he is now.
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