I’ve learned something about power recently, something that I didn’t realize. Power means to some that you can do what you want regardless of how it affects someone else. Power can even allow for you to not worry about consequences. I’ve recently learned through observation that encountering consequences for actions can be avoided if you have power, but consequences for actions can be taken to an extreme if a person lacks power. I’ve also recently observed that the severity of a committed crime isn’t a factor if you have power. Again, if you have power, you can do what you want. A person with power can be abusive.
I considered how my actions might change if I had power. I wondered if I would be abusive too. It appears that history shows that people in general dislike being abused but when given the opportunity, the same people will be abusive. In other words, everyone hates to be the victim of oppression and abuse. History shows that most groups of people have been oppressive and abusive to another group. This pattern in history supports the saying that “what goes around comes around.”
Why do groups of people get to be both victim and perpetrator of abuse? Some would say this is an example of balance. I disagree. My personal opinion is that people are victim and perpetrators due to choice. Some people would say that a person or group would choose to be victimized too. I disagree. People are often victimized by abusive force being enacted upon them, not by a desire to be a victim. The choice that I referred to is the choices that an individual makes daily that affect other people. No, I’m not as “green” as I should be in terms of the environment because I know about global warming. I don’t recycle as much as I know I should. The choices I make because I’m not as “green” as I could be and not recycling as much as I could are affecting people, plants and animals and the atmosphere. I guess I have the answer to my question “if given power would I be abusive?” With the little power I have I don’t always place my used plastic and paper in a recycling bin. I’m contributing to a slow death of some living things. No, I haven’t fired a gun at anyone and I don’t desire to. The death that I contribute to is slower and not as readily apparent and visible because I don’t see the damage done to the environment and even to myself.
So now that I’ve learned that the potential to be abusive is within me, what will I do? What will you do? We already know. This article wasn’t about recycling though. It was to help explain some of the things that are presently occurring and will continue to occur. It was Mahatma Ghandi who said, “be the change that you want to see.” I know, change is difficult. But hopefully after reading this article everyone can realize that if given the opportunity individually we can be just as evil as everything we’ve witnessed that we didn’t like or we can be just as good as the best people in history. I know it’s not easy. But we have the power to be our very best. Don’t abuse your power by the choices that you make that affect other living things.