Blood & Ink: Great Men

There’s something important in this thread…

Plato is attributed with another banger that echoes this theme:

“Only those who do not seek power are qualified to hold it.”

You can follow this thread back to the ancient Tao Te Ching:

"Superior virtue has no intention to be virtuous and thus is virtue. Inferior virtue cannot let go of virtuosity and thus is not virtue."

I don’t believe the all-too-cliché’d line that ‘all power corrupts.’

I believe fiercely that positions of power and status hierarchies attract corruptible and corrupted people at disproportionately high rates.

Believing that all positions of power necessarily and inevitably corrupt an individual reflects your moral shortcoming more than any objective statement about the nature of reality (see ‘Beliefs are Not Facts’ from yesterday).

Power amplifies. Power is not but the ability to channel energy. Just like money amplifies.

• It can—and often does—amplify shadow tendencies.
• Knowing this, one must be cautious of the allure of power, but not strictly forbid it.
• Those who understand this and are guarded to it are those best equipped to hold it.

I am reflexively and habitually cautious of those who seek power, leadership, and authority over others.

I am unbelievably open to those who are asked by the people to lead, and who answer the call that life is giving them.

Answer the call,
EB.