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Incomplete Minds


Delivering a Martin Luther King Jr Memorial lecture, actor Kamal Haasan said that “incomplete minds that somehow manage to reach the seat of power” create inequality.  He went on to say that enlightened minds are with the poor. 

Power is something that attracts only “incomplete minds,” generally.  Power is one way of completing oneself, filling up the blanks within.  Why don’t we find scientists, philosophers (writers), artists and other such people in politics running after power?  Probably, their minds are not so “incomplete.”  Or they find better means of filling the blanks within: by inventing something new, thinking new ideas or creating works of art.  Those who are incapable of such creative contributions hanker after power.  Boss over others and prove your worth!

Imposing oneself on others is precisely what’s wrong with these incomplete minds.  We find them imposing their ideas, religion, culture, food habits, dress, anything and everything on others.

Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley carried out substantial research into the nature of power.  Power corrupts necessarily: that was one of his discoveries.  (Nothing new in it, of course, except that he proved it with research.)  Even the good people, once they reach the top of the ladder, morph into a very different kind of beast.  “It’s an incredibly consistent effect,” Mr Keltner says. “When you give people power, they basically start acting like fools.”

Mr Keltner went to the extent of comparing the feeling of power to brain damage, noting that people with lots of authority tend to behave like neurological patients with a damaged orbito-frontal lobe, a brain area that’s crucial for empathy and decision-making. Even the most virtuous people can be undone by the corner office.

Power makes people less sympathetic to others.  This is a psychologically proven fact.  People in power rely more on certain stereotypes and generalisations while judging people. 

Power makes us less human, in short.  Power makes people quasi-neurotics.  Look around and you will find umpteen examples.  Examples of incomplete minds that try to fill in their internal vacuum with hate speeches and divisive attitudes based on stereotypes and generalisations.


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Comments

  1. Rajeev MoothedathApril 21, 2016 at 12:31 PM

    It's said that "Power tend to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalApril 21, 2016 at 12:39 PM

      That's a classical truth proved by experience. We can also see it in actual practice.

      Delete
  2. SeenaApril 21, 2016 at 1:30 PM

    I think power gives a high to those in it.. and in that stupor nothing else matters to them but themselves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalApril 21, 2016 at 2:08 PM

      Precisely. They are drunk with power. And their stupor makes them think they are the greatest. They want to set the world right.and they ruin the world.

      Delete
  3. Datta GhoshApril 21, 2016 at 3:56 PM

    Power, the word that corrupted humanity. Probably incomplete minds gained power and created an uneven world. Yes, complete minds do not need power, do not need this myth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalApril 21, 2016 at 5:12 PM

      Complete minds don't need slaves for filling inner vacuum. Anyway most people have some vacuum within. But the power-hungry people need subjects to sing alleluiah to their ego.

      Delete
  4. RakeshApril 22, 2016 at 9:44 AM

    May be that's why The Holy Book says that the meek will inherit the world some day. Because, they can feel the compassion of the masses and their views aren't tinted according to their own comfort. Power twists the perspective and renders it unrecognizable.

    Very introspective post, Tomichan sir!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tomichan MatheikalApril 22, 2016 at 10:24 AM

      I have serious reservations about The Holy Book's conjectures. There is no sign of the meek inheriting the earth. They may inherit the heaven if there is one!

      Delete

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