Power always corrupts the one who holds it- Response

Imagine being given the power to obtain or do anything you want, to rule nations or sail the world. What would you do? Would you use this opportunity to make good or would the extremity of what you have get to you? It is said that power can corrupt the week and the strong, but is this really true?

In Paris France power and corruption have been known to come together often throughout their history. One of the most common examples of this would be in the year 1774. This was the year Marie-Antoinette became queen of France. She and Louis Augustus sent the country into overwhelming debt due to their money use, parties, and lavish outings. Psychologically these actions were brought on by unhappiness, a need to give them a look of extreme power, and to intimidate their people.

Psychology is a major factor in this theory. The kindest person could be too turned violent and venomous with large amounts of control. Literature, media, and history all show this happening. The possibility of exaggeration is always possible but patterns have been known to appear. When given the ability to control in small doses humans can undertake this responsibility with success, but there are consequences to large amounts.

If you were given a million dollars what would you do? The majority of people asked would say they would travel the world, go on an enormous shopping spree, and buy a jet. These are all fun things to do but are they truly necessary? In a sense the lavishness of your changed life would almost be a way of showing of and demonstrating your wealth and power.

I have found that power can corrupt. It can take over the mind and reset your goals, and morals. This may not be done consciously but the gradual change would happen. Eventually it is found that most can’t handle the pressure and crack. The answer is power can corrupt, but can this corruption be reversed?

Power Always Corrupts the One Who Holds It

              John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton once said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

               Beyond all else, the world yearns for power. Throughout the history of man, rulers, peasants, philosophers, and leaders have all committed countless murders, genocides, and masterminded a number of duplicities. All committed in the attainment of power. These men start off kind-hearted but with time and exposure to power they become corrupt. Power is a mighty force; it affects the way people behave and dominates one’s mind. It is in a way a powerful drug that can lead one’s life downhill. Power always corrupts the one who holds it.

               It is human nature to always want more. Power boosts this selfish nature to such a high extent that many become corrupted. Humans strive to be the best of the best. This has been going on since the beginning of time. Back in the day leaders of different countries fought for land. They believed the more land they owned, the more power they obtained. For example an unclaimed land with an abundance of resources meant cheap supplies to build things that could be sold for profit. Whilst countries may already have an abundance of resources, leaders see this unclaimed land as an opportunity to gain power over more people and power in economics. The leaders desire more control and power then they already have, and are willing to fight one another to prove that they are the best. They no longer care about the safety of the people, they desire more land and will do anything to obtain it. This situation has caused countless wars being fought which resulted in many deaths and poverty within citizens.

              There are two types of power, socialized power and personalized power. There is a simple distinction between these two types of power. Socialized power is power used to benefit others while personalized power is power used for personal gain. Leaders often use both powers equally to govern a society, group, or business; history books never mention a poor king or queen. The corruption begins when the personalized power starts to dominate. The leaders gain but often from the follower’s expense. For example, Marie Antoinette was a French queen that was hated by the people of France. In the beginning the people of France had no complaints towards the way she and King Louis XV governed. Marie Antoinette was soon dominated by her personalized power; she bought a diamond necklace worth more than the income of France in a year. The necklace had cost many lives due to the fact that France was already in debt. The personal desire for something extravagant and the domineering effect of personalized power were the cause of corruption for Marie Antoinette.

                Power has a drug-like effect on humans. Some may describe it as intoxicating, and feel a rush of excitement from even the tiniest tastes of power. Once power has been embedded in the human system it creates the need to gain more. Scientists have discovered the feeling of power is similar to the effects of cocaine. The rush of power increases testosterone and in turn leads to raised dopamine levels, also known as the brain’s reward system and is very addictive. This effect is also obtained when humans consume cocaine. Too much dopamine leads to arrogance and impatience as well as many other negative effects. This excess amount of dopamine is why people with power act impulsively and outlandishly. This addictive side effect of power evokes negative behaviour much like a drug addict with no drugs to consume. The negative behaviour is what causes corruption to power holders.

                Power may arguably be a human’s most vicious enemy. Power can boost the negative side of human nature; the desire to want more, and can have similar effects as a dangerous drug. While there are two types of power, personalized power is the more domineering type and humans are easily susceptible by it. Many leaders start off with good intentions but due to the extreme power on their hands they are lured to the dark side. It is indisputable that power always corrupts the one who holds it. 

No Red Pill, No Blue Pill - Response

“You take the blue pill, the story ends; you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” The Matrix

Starting of this post on learning and internet communication with this quote was a gripping idea. It intrigues the reader and gets them to continue reading. To some the writing style that continued after the quote could be considered beautiful, I on the other hand have a different view on the subject and style.

In this entry she stresses how well blogging and the internet can enhance learning. She describes how bland a class without some form of internet communication or work can be. My opinion on this matter is very different. Personally I find the action of writing on paper or reading a book to be relaxing. Not only for my eyes but also for my mind. Yes I do agree with the author on how important communication is during the learning process but I don’t believe you need blogs and the internet to do so. Pen pals, teachers, and pear review are all ways to do this. The irony of posting this on a blog does not escape me. I do see the positive side of using social media in learning, but my view on the matter is remains different.

The blog itself though was genius. Ana Cristina Pratas is a wonderful writer. The words she uses paint an image in your head and her style is unique. It is evident by her grammar that she is a teacher! When reading some other entries, her writing almost felt elegant. One thing that I did find was that her style of writing could be jumpy at times. To me it didn’t seem to flow. This was apparent to me in the first paragraph (I didn’t notice it much anywhere else).

Aside from her article the rest of the blog was very interesting. She writes about a wide variety of topics. When writing her entries I noticed that she likes to use visuals. I like the idea of having them there to enhance the message of her writing. At times I felt like this cluttered the blog. The idea of adding pictures and videos was excellent but in some areas there seemed to be a lot.  

Though there where some areas of the blog and article that I did not particularly agree with I do have to appreciate her style and thoughts. Ana Cristina Pratas has a talent for writing that has to be appreciated by the reader. If asked the question “would I continue reading her work?” I would say yes. Her work can be critiqued but her work is art. She expresses her thoughts and opinions freely with unique descriptions. For this reason I would have to state that Ana Cristina Pratas is a phenomenal writer.