Throughout the long history of mankind, there had been countless wars and conflicts that caused suffering and death. Territory, freedom, and resources, are just several causes of the conflict. Ultimately, all of the bloodshed was merely a struggle for one single capability, power. Whether it is a vicious dictator, or a group of supporters of peace and freedom, power is certainly the answer to their visions, it can make their dreams a reality. Power is a key that unlocks many locks, including corruption. In the modern day society, power can be defined in many ways and is used for various purposes: good and bad.
What exactly is power? No two people will have the same interpretation of this capability. Moreover, our views of power change as time passes. In the past, when humans hunted animals for food, power would may be defined as physical strength. The leader would be the strongest as he was the greatest at hunting. Thousands of years had passed, and now, in the era of technology, people have developed an entirely different perspective. Nowadays, those who have intelligence, creativity, or money are usually considered as “powerful”. Other forms of power can also include support, privacy, or communication. Nevertheless, one shared characteristic of all these forms of power is the ability to change. Power can influence people, by persuading them, or by force.
Sometimes, power is given to people for the benefit of everyone. An example is our democratic government. An individual gains support, which is a form of power. When an individual gains enough support, he/she is elected to represent the people. A government in power tries to make the best of their power by governing the country well. Peace organizations function similarly. They gain support from people who have the same insights, and as they grow more powerful, they become more influential. At that point, these organizations would be able to make differences in the world. Power, when used properly, can be a gift to humankind; a blessing to the world.
On the contrary, power can also be a poison and a curse. Too many people in the history have gained too much power and fell into darkness of corruption. Like power, corruption can also take many forms. Greed is one of them. As one gains power, they might abuse it for their own benefits. An example is bribery in the government. This causes much harm to the citizens because they are being deceived and their rights are violated. Pride is another form of corruption. Too much power sometimes makes an individual think that he is above everyone and is invincible, leading to impaired judgment. In fact, one of the main reasons that led to the downfall of the Napoleon’s great empire was pride and overconfidence. A more modern example of pride leading to wrong decisions is Steve Jobs. As he became rich and famous, he had also let pride bury his humanity and morality. Jobs was harsh on his employees and did many unethical things such as denying his child. This shows us how much a person can change as he/she becomes powerful. As humans, we have a bright side and a dark side; there is always a temptation. One should handle power carefully, and resist the temptation of corruption.
It is almost certain that equality between humans will never exist. No matter what happens, there will always be some individuals who are superior. However, this is not necessarily a problem as most people with power handle it correctly. Unfortunately, there are still the few who stray towards the dark paths of corruption, causing harm to others. Therefore, it is crucial that we make careful decisions when supporting others to gain power, or perhaps, handling power ourselves.
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