"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"- Lord Acton.
I was reading an online edition of newsweek which listed the top 50 powerful people in the world. And not surprisingly, at the top was Barack Obama the new savior of USA. Which made me wonder about the quote stated above... throughout history we've seen people vested with absolute power, after a while seem to forget the very reason this power was given to them.
Be it Louis XIV of France who haughtily declared “L’Etat, c’est moi” (I am the State) ", the infamous czars of Russia who were known for their autocratic nature or the Nazi general Hitler whose mind became so obsessed with his ideology that he forgot what it was like to be human.
Power as they often say is very elusive. Yet, in the short span of time it corrupts the mind of the person who wields it and causes him/her to completely lose sight of their original purpose. Even today, we see corrupt politicians, wealthy individuals all over the world bending laws to satisfy their own egos. If one looks closely, there is a common pattern to all this.
A highly gifted individual, either through his charisma or his skills makes it to the top. In the beginning all goes smoothly, but as time progresses the line between common good and personal good goes on blurring. So slowly, this individual starts amassing personal goodies as i would like to call them. He hesitates initially, but because of his power he's able to push it under the mattress. But this time, he continues doing what he's started because his mind with it's impeccable logic convinces him that he's already too deep in it and that it's OK since everyone around him/her does it. Thus begins the ever growing bonding of power and corruption which repeats time and again...
So which brings us to the question... Does power always corrupt? Is there no way to avoid it?.. I believe the one thing which would save us is wisdom. It is perhaps the only quality given to mankind through which he can overcome petty greed and ambition. Wisdom allows a person to see clearly through the mist which appears and take the right decision. The funny part being, Wisdom is like an advanced search algorithm. If you take a wrong decision anywhere in your life you start getting lost. So it's back to the same place till you learn how to make the right moves. And the greater the no. of right moves, the greater the wisdom.
One may argue that wisdom alone might not grant power which is essential in bringing change. Sure it's not enough. It's important to be wily, smart and a little cunning to gain power if you believe in end justifies the means concept. But the important thing is to retain the wisdom once you become powerful and not let it get to your head.
Incidents like the Satyam scandal are a stark reminder to all of us as to what will happen if we let power and unbridled ambition get to our heads. It remains for us, to learn from it and ensure we don't make the same kinda mistakes. Now post-recession the world is entering a new era and we can only hope that the new powers-be have done their homework and shall not be deluded in their own power and make the same mistakes again. Hoping for a better future to all of us, till next time folks, I say,
Adios.
