I have heard how power corrupts and how absolute power corrupts absolutely. And this has made me question the power of love.
Anyone can boldly talk about loving a person. It is second nature. We light up when we talk about things and people we love. It gives us some kind of power. The power to belong, to express, to give – to be.
History has proven to us that power is one of the most dangerous yet beautiful things to possess. Power gives you the thrive to tackle anything and any kind of challenge that comes your way with passion and, yes, love.
Growing up in a household with a strict mother, I have seen my mother express the most beautiful and pure form of love to my siblings, my father and I that I did not have to question. That is powerful, and everyone knew and still knows this. However, when angry at us, the power of her love also came into play.
See, this is somebody who automatically loves us and will do anything for us in a heartbeat. No questions. No doubts. So – when she is not happy with us, she has no control of how to handle her feelings. Sometimes this forces her to cry.
We have all heard of the cases of people murdering their loved ones in what is deemed “a moment of insanity”.
This “moment of insanity” can be clearly labelled as a selfish moment where power corrupts absolutely. When someone knows that a person loves them truly and wholeheartedly then they know the power they have over them. Fuse that knowledge with the ability to instil fear in another person and the mixture is… deadly.
Nothing in this world is more powerful than somebody who knows their power and strength – and is brave enough to use them. Look at people such as Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson, who knew, and still know, their personal power so well that they knew they had to give it their all to be a success. Today, they are two of the most powerful and successful people in the world.
In the same breath, we have Paralympic star, Oscar Pistorius, who knew his power so well that he used it to instil fear in the woman who loved him wholeheartedly. This then causing him to “mistakenly” shoot her. One may also argue that he knew his power so well that he wasn’t even afraid of the “intruder” he claimed he thought he was shooting at, even after his girlfriend was reportedly screaming for her life.
Power corrupts.
We are not even going to get into the corruptive power that our habits carry, the power that our habit enablers carry…the power your father gets when he excuses his hurtful scolding of you to it being about how he loves you. Sometimes parents say the most hurtful and damaging things to children and never take accountability nor apologise for it because at the end of the day, they love their children and did all of that out of love.
Absolute power corrupts, absolutely.
Times are changing, and things are moving into spaces we cannot even explain. One needs to decide the kind of power they want to be around, be exposed to and even possess. After all, there are future generations to consider.
Peace, Love & Unicorn Glitter.