The power paradox

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Successful people are powerful people. It's as clear as daylight. But power manifests itself in various forms. In a nutshell, power is my ability to exert my will and achieve a desired effect. As a baby, I employ my smile to win the heart of my parents. As a young boy, power enables me to snatch a doll from my little sister's hands, not because I want the doll but because I can.

As an adult, I can spend the money in my bank account to buy food for my family. And if I'm minting money, I can even purchase a Giogio Armani classic wool suit for myself or a Chanel Diamond Forever handbag for my wife.

As your manager or a CEO, I have the leverage to hire you or fire you. As your military commander, I can make you obey my orders and to discipline you for your gaffes. As a political or religious leader, I can exert the charisma of my personality to turn my devotees into a rambunctious mob to set buildings on fire.

The Power Paradox refers to our tendency as humans to lose empathy, compassion, fair-mindedness and generosity as soon as we gain power. However, we advocate humility and benevolence so long as we remain powerless. Friedrich Nietzsche refers to this tendency as slave morality which originates in resentment. Perpetuated by the Judeo-Christian-Muslim tradition, slave morality became the golden rule we ought to live by.

Slaves, plebians and the common folk were encouraged to embrace humility, equanimity, kindness and submission. Since my early years, I have been listening to lectures on living a humble and unpretentious life as lived by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). "Verily, humble living is part of faith," the Prophet (PBUH) is quoted as telling his companions. But many of the maulvis giving lectures on modesty have been living in the lap of luxury.

When we are "powerless", we resent the elite and the powerful. But what if we became the elite and the powerful ourselves? What if we had the power to do as we wished? What if we had the opportunity to live in a mansion-like house and drive a Land Cruiser and make trips to London and Paris every year? "Not necessity, not desire," asserts Nietzsche, "no, the love of power is the demon of men. Let them have everything – health, food, a place to live, entertainment – they are and remain unhappy and low-spirited: for the demon waits and waits and will be satisfied."

But what is wrong with having power, strength and self-affirmation? What is wrong with climbing the corporate ladder or owning a multi-million-dollar company if it puts you in seventh heaven? What is wrong with being a Senator or a Supreme Court justice or a military brigadier or a general and enjoying all the perks and privileges no one can dream of?

The crux of the matter is – we don't just want to have power; we want to have more of it. The demon is never satisfied. We are not happy with just a piece of the pie; we want a lion's share. In the famous fable, the Lion's Share, a lion, a wolf, a fox and a jackal go hunting together. They kill a young bison. When it's time to share the spoil, the lion divides the bison into four equal portions. "I am the king," says the lion, "so, this first portion is mine. The second part is also mine because I am the strongest, And the third is mine for sure because I am the bravest." He then glares at each one of them and growls, "if any one of you wants to claim the last portion, now is the time to speak up."

With power comes abuse of power especially when I don't hesitate to employ force, deception, manipulation and coercion to achieve my goals. "It is much safer to be feared than loved," says Machiavelli. So, I turn into an impulsive authoritarian like Donald Trump so I can use the specter of tariffs to intimidate nations or to lambaste Volodymyr Zelensky, the head of a state, in front of the entire world, and leave him in the lurch.

With power also comes vanity and conceit, especially if I am Winston Churchill, an unrelenting white knight of British Imperialism. In his snobbish hysteria, Churchill once noted, "If Independence is granted to India, power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low calibre and men of straw."