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.
It's said that "Power tend to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely."
ReplyDeleteThat's a classical truth proved by experience. We can also see it in actual practice.
DeleteI think power gives a high to those in it.. and in that stupor nothing else matters to them but themselves.
ReplyDeletePrecisely. 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.
DeletePower, 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.
ReplyDeleteComplete 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.
DeleteMay 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.
ReplyDeleteVery introspective post, Tomichan sir!
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!
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