THE CONCEPT OF POWER- THE WORD HAS OFTEN A LOADED MEANING

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   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   Power is a word which conjures so many images in people.    The average person often has an ambivalent relationship towards power.   All of us are influenced by power in one way or another.   All of us as children were subjected to the power of our older siblings, parents, and/or other adult authority figures.    Some authority figures, including parents, used their power benevolently while others used it negatively. 
   
   There is no escaping power.   Power in itself is neither negative nor positive.    Power is wholy dependent upon the person using it.      Power is not necessarily limited to the wealthy and/or influential.   Everyone has power, even the least significant among us, whether he/she knows it or not.   
   
   Many people are unaware of their own personal power, often being inculcated from early childhood by parents, teachers, and religious authorities to give their power away to authority figures because such figures seem "to know better" and/or "have more expertise".     Societies such as Nazi Germany came to such ruinous ends because people decided to surrender their power to one person.     
   
   There are people who routinely surrender their power to religious figures and politicians.   They believe that they are quite insignificant within themselves.    They displaced their feelings of self-worth and near worship the particular religious figure and politician, believing that he/she will have the solution to societal problems and ills.    This surrendering and giving  away one's power often denotes passiviity, a need to be rescued, and not to take responsibility for one's life.   
   
   Yes, power is the all catch word.   Everyone has power; however, most people will never realize it until it is too late.   Do you agree with this premise?   Let's discuss!

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      Alise- Evonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I believe many people that we have labeled as "powerful" were really only weilding brute force.  Brute force is the lowest form of "power" there is.  Yes, people can be and are seriously harmed by brute force; and its related cousins of manipulation, deceit, etc..  If we never realize how much of this "power" we have but have not used, so much the better.  The highest form of "power" is love manifested in its truest form.  Nothing can conquer someone forgiving someone of a heinous crime committed against them, manipulating them into a harmful action they do not want to take, deceiving them about the value of something sold to them, etc.  This power/this love can only be learned from the God of love, YHVH; and it is still true, many do not realize it until very late or not at all.

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         gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         You have presented an excellent premise.   The late Dr. David Hawkins discussed the concept of power in one of his books, Power vs. Force.   Dr. Hawkins clearly delineated that force is an extreme and negative use of power.   Power is neither positive nor positive but is wholly dependent upon the person using it.  People with higher consciousness use power to help others and to empower themselves while people in the lower states of consciousness use power to enforce their will upon others.

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         bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         The power of love, driven by determination, can be one of the most formidable forces imaginable.  In the example I have in mind the power is wielded by a young adult, occupying a twisted and powerless body that would appear to be that of an 8 year old.  Multiple disabilities, forming a long list of challenges, including cognitive and communicative limitations, still do not limit this power.  Loving parents dedicated to her comfort, health and every need, aided by a gracious God,  will stop at nothing to make sure her life is as good as they can possibly provide.  Pity the doctor, social worker, health worker, attorney or any other who stands in opposition.  To see her you would think she has no power.  Don't be fooled.

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      kessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Power, in the broadest and simplest concept is being able to accomplish any one particular thing.
      Absolute Power  then would means you can what soever you like, whenever you like...
      
      Which is basically absolute freedom.
      
      Now in examining freedom, we can see the nature of Power.
      
      The man who is absolutely free, will always be at Rest...
      Rest because with the ability to any and everything, the likelihood of doing no thing is great,
      While at the same time,  the decision to do any particular thing is never a struggle.
      
      So understanding the action of  Absolute Power might be deceptive to the observer, because it can easily be misconstrued as inaction.

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   healthyfitnessposted 11 years ago

   We all have power, however a single man's power is not enough to stand up to that of many. That is where the problem lies.

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