[HPforGrownups] There is only power

[bloubet at incanmonkey.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 48347

> bloubet wrote:

bic> (all IMHO, of course) Power is a tool. You can have
bic> good and evil, and also have power. If you use power as
bic> a tool for good, you're still good. If you use it as a
bic> tool for evil, you're still evil. Power is neutral.
bic> Seeking power is not evil. Power can be used for good,
bic> and can be obtained without hurting yourself or anyone
bic> else.

Alexander said: 

> Questionable, of course. Tolkien was quite adamant at it:
Power *is* Evil. Then there's "power corrupts" theory, which
I consider absolutely correct (btw do you know the political
life as it is? Not a nice sight, I assure you, even if you
are "on the side of Good").
>
> As for belief that power can be obtained without hurting
anyone else, I find that absolutely improbable. Power is
power, and there's not unlimited amount of it, and whichever
power exists, it already belongs to someone, so it's simply
impossible to gain power without crossing someone else's
interests (which interests might actually be very good and
noble indeed).<<

(I'm not addressing the rest of your post because I think, for the most part, we agree.)

I must humbly apologize to Tolkien and disagree with him vehemently. <grin> I agree that power *can* corrupt, but not that it always does. Gandhi and Mother Theresa come to mind. There have been many powerful individuals who didn't abuse their power and weren't corrupted by it, IMHO. I think the key may be that the *desire* for power, in and of itself, is likely to corrupt or be perceived as evil. People like Gandhi were seeking other goals and, in their search, acquired power -- which they then used for good.

I also don't believe in the finite power pool, which limits the acquisition of power to that which can be taken from someone else, hurting them in the process. Let's say that a friend of mine starts up his own company and hires me as office manager. He has given me the power to make important decisions regarding company policy and expenditures. It's a real form of power. But he GAVE it to me. I didn't take it from anyone. And in exercising my power, I'm helping the person who gave it to me, not hurting anyone. Hmm... OK, not a GREAT example, because there is still a power exchange there, implying a finite pool. But I think I at least countered the point that you have to hurt someone else to acquire power.

bel