We have all heard about corrupt politicians in power or dishonest leaders in history who let too much power go to their heads. But what makes them go so crazy with power? There are leaders who handle it fine and don't abuse their power so what makes people become so corrupt? The answer? A choice
Presidents, emperors,and kings all have one thing in common: power. Power is something that many people strive for in their life and it's not necessarily a bad thing. But as Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker, with great power comes great responsibility. And it's when people choose power over responsibility,that things go downhill.
When people choose power over responsibility, they neglect their responsibilities and focus too much on power, thinking only about how to improve their own standing and therefore have a greater chance of becoming more corrupt and ruining their relationships with other people who rely on them.
Take Macbeth for example,in Act 1 he was a loyal soldier and by the end of the play he had become a corrupt, dead king. He chose to obsess over his power and neglected his responsibility to Scotland, to rule well.
But what makes people want power so badly?According to Daniel A. Bochner, Ph.d, people desire power because they feel powerless on their own. But it's when their success becomes addicting, that any hope of change becomes diminished greatly. Power and control are people's way of defending themselves against their own feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.
It makes sense if you think about it, you feel powerless so you want some more to make yourself feel better. But not everyone who has or wants power is corrupted by it. Moral compass, conscience, ethics, are all things that guide people in their decisions. The stronger your ethics are, the less likely someone is to be corrupted by power.
But responsibilities keep everyone grounded so when when ignored or neglected, power becomes the only thing to focus on. Instead of using it to improve other people's situations, the opposite happens, he/she uses it to improve their own standing and in the process forget about everyone else.
The only way to avoid this, is to find the balance between power and responsibility. Too much power, and corruption here we come! But too much responsibility and not enough power, then there's too much stress and not enough influence to make a difference. Like all things in life, balance is key. Once one achieves finding the balance between power and responsibility,, then they can focus on helping others and utilizing their power for good and not just on their own selfish needs. So when one attains power, they must also have their responsibility to keep them in check.
Choosing power over responsibility
myMagazine/February, 2014
4