Jul 29 2008
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Sounds good doesn’t it? Good enough to believe perhaps. Unfortunately its far from being true. There are many example that exist showcasing the fallacy of this supposed truth. For example the present Dalai Lama, and previous Dalai Lamas, King Asoka, and Im sure there are many other figures that are not of a buddhist orientation that I don’t know of.
This, however is despite my point. What is it with people and adopting clever lines as their philosophy? “Oh you shouldn’t do that because ‘To each his own’”, “You know what they say ‘birds of a feather flock together’” and etc.
Where is the justification? Where is the argument? Where is the reason?
Idea in pill form seems to be the most common trend of society. People carry around quotes without understanding them and brandish them like sound justifications. Usually these quotes are crazy!!! But that’s OK because what they are is witty, and people like witty!
Don’t get me wrong being witty is important, but don’t throw out the baby with that bath water people. Oh look an expression, although I believe this is a justified one…. assuming you like babies (makes you wonder how many people actually threw out the baby ‘Oh it’s clean now, bye bye.’).
Anyhow my point with this oh so close to a rant is that one should think about what they’re saying. Realize that your words imply certain things, and although wittiness is important if thats all your ideas are based on take a step back and think about it.
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52 Responses to “Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely”
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People adopt clever phrases because it makes them seem clever, I think. And besides, power does corrupt, but I don’t know anyone with absolute power so I can’t comment on that. I think that power corrupts because eventually the person in power starts looking out for their own interests, instead of others. You could argue that an altruistic leader would listen to others and use power according to their wishes, but then that leader doesn’t have the power, the “followers” do. People in power will naturally act according to their own beliefs and motivations, which may coincide with the wishes of others, making them appear uncorrupted. I guess in short everyone is “corrupt”, it’s just that people with power can exert their will on others, and doing so makes them more “corrupt” in everyone else’s view.
Hm that kind of got away from me there…
That is a very negative perception of humanity. Why is power corrupting? And why would an altruistic leader be working according to his followers? The fact is people can have individual wants that benefit others, and still have power.
Who has the power a parent who buys clothes for his toddler, or the toddler crying in the corner?
My point being what is good for others is not necessarily what others may want, and an altruistic powerful leader could provide responsibly for others.
You’re not listening
Power doesn’t corrupt - people are corrupt to begin with, as in they always work according to their interests. There is no such thing as “altruism”. Someone may believe that they are doing the “right thing”, but they are still doing it because they want to. It’s just happenstance that someone else may “benefit” from it.
As an aside, how do you determine whether or not something benefits someone else? Because it makes things easier for them? Because it doesn’t harm them? Would it “benefit” someone to have everything for them done by someone else, for their entire life? Everyone does what they want to do, it’s just that people in power can impose their will onto others (even “for their own benefit”).
People are corrupt to begin with? When we are born we are automatically corrupt? Please par tell when this magical transformation takes place?
And for the record there is nothing contradictory with wanting to benefit others, and benefit would be described in light of the true wants of the individual that is being benefited.
Corruption comes in light of… whoa actually I just thought of something crazy. Corruption can only be known from the individual perception, as corruption is a sense a rotting from within. Therefore when everyone says power corrupts they mean that the person they see in power changed when they got there, but in actuality weren’t they always that way hence why they got in power?
I digress corruption defined is ” the process by which something is changed from its original use or meaning to one that is regarded as erroneous or debased.” This is the definition I think the quote hints at. As such there could be positive corruption or negative, but regardless what is most important is that corruption has to do with the individual changing, but this has to do with more than simply there external perception to the world.
Internally then they must change from whatever beliefs they had, be they positive or negative, to something else dramatically different. But this can only truly be known by the individual. I would sooner argue that those that seek power do it for dishonest reasons, rather than the honest that seek power become corrupted.
Interesting discussion….
my first thought re: that phrase is what the heck is absolute power? … no such thing, really, is there?
All power is situational at best.
Good observation.