Power paradox

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

Most people do not realize that what can be gained can also be lost.

In a perfect world, all power is earned rather than given.

To earn power, there are a multitude of skills that need to be mastered. The more developed skills are, the more power is had in the category of the given skill. 

Take for example someone who lifts a lot of weights. They become more skilled in their practice by lifting more weights and they become more powerful. This power is not only referring to the literal physical power they gain, but also the authority they have in the subject. The more they develop those skills, the more they are respected, and respect is essentially power.

Now this person is an example of a person of power in that domain. They have developed the skills needed to be at the top. Although they are at the top from the skills they have developed, they will only remain at the top if they continue to develop those skills. Let’s say this powerful weight lifter decides that since they have power they can quit lifting weights. They then lose the power that they have gained because they quit developing the skills that let them acquire that power. 

This is the POWER PARADOX.

Once power, wealth, fame, or success are achieved, people often forget the very practices that made it possible. This leaves them more susceptible to impulsive, selfish actions and empathy deficits.

I have witnessed too many people who let the power go to their head. 

They believe that since they have achieved the level they want, they no longer need to do the things that got them there. Even though the exact opposite is true. When success is achieved, you must continue doing the things that made it possible, and more. People often forget what got them there in the first place.

I have applied these examples of the power paradox to my own life to keep me humble.

So many times leaders gain too much power and they forget that they were once followers.

Keeping the mindset of a follower but the actions of a leader is where I have been most successful. Even with power, I keep the mindset that I am the same as those who are around me. I remind myself that respect must be gained rather than expected.

Power figures who expect respect instantly fail. Believing that somebody should respect you because of what you have accomplished is ignorance. Nobody cares what you have done unless you care about what they have done.

Successful power figures give significance to the achievements of those with less power than them. By doing this, they are able to gain more respect, and more power. 

Respect=power.

The more followers you have the bigger army you create and the more powerful you are.

People would much rather follow a humble leader than a conceited leader.

The more skills you learn, the more power you have. But to keep this power under control, you have to remind yourself what gave you that power. Staying grounded is the ultimate way to gaining more power and respect.

No matter how far you travel, never lose sight of where you came from.

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Thank you for reading!

My goal is to inspire self-improvement in others through personal stories and experiences.

This is The Exploration.