Thanks Nykee for the idea for this post.
"Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." Lord Acton
In our 24/7/365 news world, there seems to be endless stories of corruption, greed and malfeasance. It can be easy to get discouraged and disillusioned, and to believe that there is no one that we can trust.
I tend to look at this another way. I believe that greed is the origin of all that is not good in the world. The desire to better oneself, to have more, is not a bad thing. But when greed becomes the motivator, bad things usually follow.
Power seems to be a tremendous motivator for greed. It seems as people or organizations gain power, they simply want more power. Nothing is ever enough. In the greedy pursuit of more power, all moral and ethical restraints seem to fall by the wayside.
Individuals or organizations possessed of this tremendous greed for more power cannot be trusted. They have lost their moral and ethical compass.
So who, and what, can you trust?
What you can trust is you too are vulnerable to greed and corruption. The best safeguard you have against allowing greed to corrupt you is your own self-awareness.
Many reading this may be shaking their heads now, thinking, "I have no power, this could never be me."
We all have power. You have power over every individual that cares about you. Do you recognize and respect this power? Do you remind yourself that love is not a weapon to be used to get your own way? Do you remind yourself that your power over those who love you carries a tremendous responsibility to think of the impact your actions will have on them? Do you hold yourself accountable to the appearance of your actions and decisions, even if your intent is pure? All change for the good starts at the individual level, be the change for good.
Who can you trust? The circle of people any individual can trust absolutely will always be small. Be pragmatic. Trust very few people absolutely. Evaluate others, and trust them according to their ability to live up to their commitments. Allow that all of us are corruptible, and limit your absolute trust to those individuals that you can frankly discuss a breach of trust with to bring that conflict to resolution.
Business, government, and organized religion are not good entities for your trust. They all wield too much power. Look to those entities for what they do, not what you expect. Hold them accountable when they do not meet expectations. Work to shine a light on corruption. But don't become disillusioned or hurt by their actions.
"Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." Lord Acton
Stay vigilant. Hold yourself accountable to wield your personal power responsibly and lovingly. Never blindly follow a powerful entity. Be a voice for optimism and truth.
When we allow ourselves to become disillusioned and give up, the forces against unprincipled power are diminished. Don't let corruption win. Be the change for good.
You are absolutely right. Matter of fact, this has helped me with my inner battle of how I can react to a family member who just got busted with drugs. I can't put great amount of trust and hope in the unattainable but I can help cultivate it at the grass root. <3
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right. Matter of fact, this has helped me with my inner battle of how I can react to a family member who just got busted with drugs. I can't put great amount of trust and hope in the unattainable but I can help cultivate it at the grass root. <3
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