Topic: Does power really corrupt? - page 3. (Read 1370 times)

To an extent yes, because if the level of power is moderate there is still room for humility.
When we've clearly defined power here, you'll understand that the more the power, the harder it is to retain humility, this is because the said person realizes that he can get away with a lot of things and can influence the flow of certain things in great ways , then it is harder to resist the urge to bend things according to your desires.
And at a point where you're doing the extreme, and bending things and using your power to intimidate,  oppress or any of those,  that is you being corrupt.
So yes, power is corrupting, and absolute power is absolute corruption.

When it comes to power we have to determine what power really is or what exactly are the powers going to do. mostly the power which leads to corruption is the political power. because it has to do with making decisions for the destruction of goods and services of the state and as a result people who are selfish in nature tends to exploit this little opportunity to create more wealth for themselves.

If not for political power many people would have not been recognized even with the money they have that is what we see people who are already rich trying to compete for a political power to create recognition and force around themselves and if this force is excessively granted then it turns man into a monster because of the inherit greed in our nature. 

Actually it depends on we the individuals, we decide if it will corrupt us or not, there are people in power who are doing perfectly well and okay, even when they know they have the power to stop or do things in their own way, but they do in the favor of the people, while there are plenty who use their power to influence or oppress the people or use it to intimate them, which makes some people fear them, so it all depends on us the human beings whether to use it for good or bad influence, the major important thing is to ensure that power is not abused.

Yes it just reveals the true nature of the person but there are some people who may get get corrupted once they reach the power as I know few who were not corrupt but once they power there is no one to question then as they have authority so they choose to be corrupt as no one can question them, again here the person may have been pretending to be humble and good for very long and once they get power their nature is revealed I mean you see most of the traffic police/cops or any new politicians they are not initially corrupt but once they get the power then they become corrupt. For some power and corrupt don't correlate but for some it does.

I don't think power actually have the ability to corrupt any, be it economic power, military power, financial power, physical power, intelectual power, and spiritual power, what I knows that it does is to bring out the true colors of a person.

Because I have seen so many people that possess power of different kinds that that are still humble and sincere down to earth, so I believe that power only reveal the true colors of someone.

It's a human thing, people draw closer to their bad nature when they feel they are above other person's, like what is actually stopping you from crushing your fellow if you have the power to.

Let say you are a king and I am a citizen of your country and I invented a technology that I was supposed to make myself ever young and you heard of it as the king would you not use your power to crush me to get what you want.

Power doesn't corrupt but it bring out the bad nature in man, every man is corrupt on his own and just waiting for a trigger, how many times have you used your little power to uppres others around you in little ways, the cjlhoice came from you not the power or anything, you are the corrupt one and not the power.

My neighborhood has a homeowners association.  I've seen scandal after scandal just at this level, which has to be the literal lowest level of governing in the country.  From paying themselves huge salaries to fix tiny problems in the community, to hiring their friends to install things that aren't needed in the community, removing amenities that they don't use, and even manipulating elections.  When exposed, some of these people sold their homes and moved away like nothing happened, only to be replaced with others doing the same thing.  If people are this corrupt at the absolute lowest level of governing there is, I can't imagine the things that are going on at the highest levels of government. 

Power in all ramifications connotes the capacity of an individual or a group of individuals that changes a standard set of rules as to Garner advantages such as pecuniary interest, seat of power, recognition, promotion, etc.
Power in its entirety has the inherent tendencies to gravitate an occupier or occupiers to break established rules and standard to gain unprecedented advantages against others in a defined community of human beings.
Therefore, when the whims and caprices of the power holder is not subject to an established mechanisms of checks and balances, there is the likely inclination to use the bestowed power to gain several advantages to the detriment of the entire system and all individuals.

Yes I agree with you, people tend to be very humble when they have  nothing but when they have power and money you see the true colour in them, so I agree with you. That is why you don't need to judge people that they are good when they have nothing.  You can only know the real person when they have access to power and money.  Power and money gives people authority to do whatever they like to do.

Not necessarily. Blessed are the people living under the command of a wise impartial sovereign having supreme authority in his domain. One who is strong and wise. But finding such as divine being as an Absolute Monarch/Emperor/Dictator is a rare historical event.

Power corrupts but it depends on the person mindset is, if an individual is ben given much power to do what he or she wants, you will notice that different things will start happening at the same, the power will be misused against the people that entrusted such power to the person, political misuse of power has been the world current problem, the politician now see power as the ability to control people with which ever means irrespective of the effect on the people the are ruling it doesn't matter, the world is face with leader that has turn their face against the electorate for selfish reasons, African has suffered so much in the hands of their leaders and calls for urgent attention from the international community though every country has their personal problems but but Africans problems is nothing to write home about, African president decides everything that happens no one has the right to tell them anything, if you try to do it, you will be caused of financial misappropriation in other to tarnish your image. 

According to one time president of Nigeria and he said , "power is sweet". Meaning he was using absolute power over the people and in a democratic setting, the president must not use absolute power over the people and instead he would use devolution of power. And where there is a country there must be a power and that power must come from politics which must me given to him by "the physical power, economy power, experts power, referent power and the coercive power". All those powers are control by the political power although the economic power is much more powerful than the political power but the economic power is also obey some of the instructions from the political power. Economic power and the political power are working together for the benefits of themselves. And with that power is really absolutely corrupt.

And why power is corrupt is that when the leaders have given the opportunity to rule they over use the power to do things which is not good for the citizens. They bring policies that would only benefits the leaders and not for the for masses. They would used it to do and undo. They use force to acquire things that belongs to the people. And this can come a very good example in Nigeria. Those who own the crude oil in the Niger Delta are more poorer than those who are far the oil producing communities. The Northern people who control the State government control the crude oil which very far from them but they used the corrupt power to acquire the wealth. The real democracy is not found in any of the African countries.

I partially agree with you, there has been honest people and leaders who were raised with a certain way and even after acquiring much power within their respective societies, they did not behave in a wrong way and did not allow themselves to be corrupted, they never forgot the duty they had for the people of their nation. The first and most representative example when comes to my mind is Abraham Lincoln.

On the other hand, history has also offered some examples to us of people who allowed themselves to be embedded and corrupted by the power it has placed onto them, for example, there were several Roman Emperors who abused their position to commit atrocities against citizens of the empire. Have you ever read about the roman emperor Caligula? It is really worth your time to take a look at it of you ever have time and wish to learn of what absolute power can do to the morals and the attitude of a man.

I don't think that power really corrupt people, it is the people who shows their true color after getting the power.
People could say that money or power changed people and yes it does, it changed how they hide their true personality when they have or don't have power.
I am not saying that are like this there are some who would stay the same even if they gain power or money.

Power is something that can control man if man is not careful,  it gives boldness and confidence to do whatever thing whether call it political power, financial power. For people who are already have power they need to be conscious of themselves because power is what some people get drunk of it when they have  it, they abuse it to oppress people.  The essence of power is not to oppress people but to help people who are voiceless,  people who needs help.

Yes power corrupts all forms of power not just political power when someone arrogate power to him/her self pride comes in and then the urge to acquire more creeps in and then corruption comes in

it’s more of controlling than forcing they blackmail people who are less powerful than they are they bribe or pay them with money usually acquired through illegal means sometimes even worse they threaten them with life and death

Excess power can corrupt our mindset that is why we need to make sure that we do the right thing so that we can stay humble at most.
There are many people that were humble and loyal before their masters but immediately they get power, they will start feeling like they have arrived and no one has the right to challenge them. There are many things we need to understand about power or else we might miss the track. We should always be conscious on how to do things because power can change the way we think and do things.

Everyone in power in the country I live in is corrupt, forcing those who are not corrupt to be. The ruling political figures of our country are so powerful that for more than a century people have suffered under a single rule. Their power is so corrupt that they are elected without opposition and come to power. Their rule is rampant corruption, lack of transparency and characterized by the persecution of dissent. The media is often censored and critical voices are silenced. The judiciary is also not independent and often works in the interests of the ruling party. Citizens have no courage to agitate and protest to demand change, accountability from their political leaders.

I love this; this statement is simple and mighty. Power always comes with energy that brings out the true selves of those who possess it.