There is an inherent drive in all living beings to enjoy power. It is the influence one has over other to follow him/her. A leader enjoys power as follower listens to him and obey his/her instructions. Rich people enjoy money power and believe that they can buy anything with money. So money has an influence which lures people to earn more and be rich. Traditionally muscle power has played a strong role in ruling over masses. In modern times muscle or weaponry can be bought through money, so if a person or country has more money, it can spend more on defense and command more power from others.
In the changing contexts muscle and money power is getting replaced with knowledge power as it can help earn more and command respect and prestige which is a strong force for creating ‘influence’. Power has to be backed with honest intent for the well-being of the people. John EED Acton (1834-1902) stated “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. It is an extension of the thinking of one of the strongest pillars of Western philosophy and the great disciple of Socrates, Plato. So true it is that if a leader enjoy power and influences others, and carries ill intent, there is a strong possibility that he/she shall become blind for achieving inappropriate ends, which shall lead to follow corrupt practices. Further when it is elaborated, it conveys that if an individual’s power increases, his/her moral responsibility shall be viewed diminishing. This is an interesting interpretation.
It is perhaps in this light that the thought of democracy and practice of pluralism was thought of, because it does not depend on the whims of one single individual. So the process of decision making where power gets asserted involved group of people. It is not just one person’s intent, rather it is of the group. It got believed that if there is group of persons, the possibility of letting any one individual enjoy absolute power shall be lower. When a leader enjoys unconditional love and affection of his/her followers and ably influences them, the responsibility of taking care of the followers makes the leader accountable for the actions of the followers as well.
One of my students recently sent me a quote by John Steinbeck – “Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts…Perhaps the fear of loss of power” and asked my comment on this. I was happy to have enthused in him the sense of digging into the conception of power. Power corrupts or Power does not corrupt. The context in which John made this given statement is so true to the leaders or bosses who are so obsessed with the power that they enjoy, that they forget, it is not for eternity that they are going to remain boss or leader, so the fear of losing that power drives them to follow corrupt practices, may be with an intent that they should not lose power and remain ever influential. The sense of insecurity of relinquishing the objective aspect of the influence, drives one to follow ill means to remain in power. Politics has many takers and believers. John Steinbeck, the Noble laureate in literature, had a reflection of the lives of many people who were affected by the world wars that happened in the earlier part of the twentieth century. His words command timeless virtue.
So both the statements are true to my understanding –
So keep looking for ways through which you can enjoy power. Muscle, Money, Information, Knowledge, Network, or many other such modes shall help you assert influence and buy you followers. Whatever be the case, never ever get carried away with wrong intent and never ever get obsessed with the power you enjoy, otherwise fear of losing it shall certainly make you corrupt.
16 thoughts on “WHAT CORRUPTS – POWER OR THE FEELING OF LOSING IT”
Very impressive, sir. That response to your kids’ question was excellent. From our point of view, everything is dependent on a person’s views, but today’s fear of losing something more severely affects that. Because no one wants to loose what they got.
Yes, Sir. I also beleive that both the statements are true. We can take the example of our former PM Indira Gandhi.
Dear Sir,
your thoughts are incisive read & apt articulation of concept of power.
In my understanding, power through knowledge is the most sustaining and permanent form of persuasion. Knowledge always shall command power & never ever shall have fear of loosing it. And, once the quest for knowledge subsides, the power shall diminish within that person.
Apparent sense of ‘Power’, through status, money & other perceived means are always transitionary & hence short lived. Even the Hitler, regimes exercising hegemony, Mughals or Brits couldn’t sustain that. The underlying which gave them the sense of power was actually through the sense of fear created amongst the affected thus drawing the sense of power my military, money or muscle means. Eventually, the myths were busted and power diminished.
Power game to prove superiority shall persist but is a sign of inadequate understanding & immaturity of any society.
Intellectual power needs to be the way of life& all must remain in quest of the same.
thanks .. follow my ensuing posts, I shall write on Knowledge Power…
read this, it echoes your concerns….
https://vkshro-meri-awaz-suno.blogspot.com/2013/11/knowledge-is-power.html
Power sure give the person influence, but it is the influence of command not of gaining followers. Followers come naturally as a product of one’s abilities to touch lives.
Having said that, fear of losing power, may corrupt but only in the absence of a strong and sound ethical system backing an individual.
As a matter of fact, thousand and thousands of those who are both in power, and are corrupt never fear of losing it (Being a victim of God/celebrity complex too).
Fear weakens a person, and fear of losing power weakens too, lack of ethical backing also weakens one at core.
Fear creates hazzles where unsound/unethical/corrupt decision can be easily taken.
In a classic case of people exercising corrupt practices it may seem at the first glance that it was fear that lead to corruption, but in reality, is it?
In most cases it is lack of good governance caused by lack of ethics.
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Your articles are a major source of food for thought, intriguing and intellectual.
It is always mesmerizing to read the penned version of your thought Dear Professor.
thanks ankit. You have a point but at subtle level you are talking same what I am talking. People who get carried away with positional power tend to slowly feel the fear of power that corrupts them or that forces them to compromise. Fear or insecurity causes loss of power slowly and such power shifts to the person. Elsewhere I have talked about positional power and personal power.
I am happy that you are able to get some food for thought.
best wishes
read this, it answers some of your queries…
https://www.vkshrotryia.com/mytake/what-makes-a-good-leader/
Well written sir. I wish people at positions subtly use their power and influence others too to use it in the right manner as with power and position their comes the responsibility too.
As it goes…the downfall of a nation begins the moment people at position use the power given by the system against the system.
Fear of losing the power corrupts them no doubt.
thanks
read this, it answers some of your queries…
https://www.vkshrotryia.com/mytake/what-makes-a-good-leader/
Dear sir
A very interesting read!
‘Fear of losing power corrupts more than the power itself’- I found this as a strong and a potent argument.
In my opinion, a knowledge economy demands leaders who exercise expert and referent powers, without being attached to the authority and position they possess. There is no shelf life to knowledge. As long as he serves a purpose which is meaningful and valuable to the organisation and the society, power will be a by product.
thanks suruchi
read this, it answers some of your queries…
https://www.vkshrotryia.com/mytake/what-makes-a-good-leader/
Lovely read !
thanks