I think it's not so much that power inherently is toxic, but rather what we do with it
Power "over" is in-toxicating, yes. Those who strive for it need it to bolster a sense of self-worth. At the highest levels of government, corporations or celebrity, it can be deadly.
Power "with" is another story. Shared power is "em-powering" in which all parties win. So it all depends on how we're grounded around power.
Learning to use one's power to serve the greater good is elevating power to to its highest potential. This is heart-centered power vs. ego-centered power. People need to evolve beyond ego-driven behaviors to be able to wield power effectively. Gandhi was a great example of this.
Thanks for this post. You've sparked a seed of thought for me to write about on my own blog.
I whole heartedly agree, and in fact, the articles on this blog where I try to inspire a dialogue or study into the subject of "toxins within power" are explicit that power and toxins are distinct, not one and the same.
For instance toxins in a glass of water are not the water, they are in the water and need to be filtered out or otherwise dealt with.
Consider this Dredd Blog article where I attempt to expand the notion I had set forth in earlier posts.
I think it's not so much that power inherently is toxic, but rather what we do with it
ReplyDeletePower "over" is in-toxicating, yes. Those who strive for it need it to bolster a sense of self-worth. At the highest levels of government, corporations or celebrity, it can be deadly.
Power "with" is another story. Shared power is "em-powering" in which all parties win. So it all depends on how we're grounded around power.
Learning to use one's power to serve the greater good is elevating power to to its highest potential. This is heart-centered power vs. ego-centered power. People need to evolve beyond ego-driven behaviors to be able to wield power effectively. Gandhi was a great example of this.
Thanks for this post. You've sparked a seed of thought for me to write about on my own blog.
Best to you,
Judith
Dr. Rich,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your astute observations.
I whole heartedly agree, and in fact, the articles on this blog where I try to inspire a dialogue or study into the subject of "toxins within power" are explicit that power and toxins are distinct, not one and the same.
For instance toxins in a glass of water are not the water, they are in the water and need to be filtered out or otherwise dealt with.
Consider this Dredd Blog article where I attempt to expand the notion I had set forth in earlier posts.
Thank you kindly for sharing your thoughts.