Of the highest order of genius, it may be truly asserted, that to gain the reputation of superior power, it must partially disguise itself; it must come down, and then it will be applauded for soaring. What signifies power, if we do not exert it? The meanings of power, influence, control, and domination are uncertain, shifting, and overlapping. Although two of these words may be interchangeable in one context, in another context one of the words may refer to a genus and others to a species, or one may refer to a cause and another to a species, or one may refer to a cause and another to an effect. Power is the production of intended effect. If power is a relation, between what kind of terms or things does it hold? Does power over men require a minimum of acquiescence, consent, or cooperation, or can it be analogous to physical force acting on an otherwise inert object? Is to exercise power always to succeed in what one intends, or can a man exercise power in ignorance of what he is doing, like ruling elite that neither knows nor cares about the effects of its actions on other classes? #RyanPhillippe 1 of 5

Everyone is in some degree influenced by the lover of power. There are five main features of the influence we call power: an intention manifest in the exercise of power, the successful achievement of this intention, a relationship between at least two people, the intentional initiation by one of actions by the other; and a conflict of interest or wishes engendering a resistance that the initiator overcomes. Not every feature would be present, of course, in every instance in which we properly speak of power; but we can examine how different instances are related to the paradigm and to one another, and thus throw some light on a few of the questions listed above. Some instances of power do not involve overcoming resistance to an initiative. A charismatic leader’s power over his followers consists in being able merely by suggestion to move them to do willingly what he wants, even though their interests might have led them to act different. There is a weird power in the spoken word. #RyanPhillippe 2 of 5

Power is ever dangerous and intoxicating. Human nature cannot bear it. It must be constantly checked, controlled and limited, or it declines inevitably into tyranny. The family of power concepts might be arranged along a conflict scale (Partridge): at the end at which conflict is least would lie instances of domination, and in between, instances of authority. In the extreme case, exercising influence would not involve overcoming resistance, for to manipulate a man’s actions by shaping what he considers to be his interest is not to impose action upon him in the face of his interest. Yet this would still be an instance of power satisfying the first features of the paradigm. The limiting case at the end of the scale at which conflict is least would be rational persuasion, for to offer a man good reasons for doing something is not to exercise power over hum, although it may influence his decision. One possible difference between influence and power, then, seems to be that power generally implies a difference of standing between the two parties: the one stimulates, the other reacts. #RyanPhillippe 3 of 5

Who is covetous of power or wealth for the sake of making a right use of it? Rational persuasion, on the contrary, to the extent that it criticizes and invites criticism, presupposes at least the possibility of a dialogue between equal. To the extent that persuasion is really rational, the influence is not so much that of the persuader as of his arguments; the same arguments from anyone else would do as well. (By contrast, a threat of violence is more effective coming from a strong man than from a weak man.) Of course, if A rationally persuades B to help him, A may get power—not over B, however, but over C or D, or even simply the power to do something he could not otherwise. Sometimes a power-holder can successfully and intentionally make the subject suffer for refusing the initiative. “See I believe in money, power, and respect. First you get the money, then you get the power, after you get power people will respect you. It is the key to life. Money, power, and respect is what you need in life. Money, power, respect when you eating right. Money, power, and respect help you sleep at night,” (Lil Kim: Money, Power, and Respect). #RyanPhillippe 4 of 5

Most people have a passion for power, power that loves to tyrannize over its slaves by playing their chains. Any by yet a further extension of meaning, one can exercise power over someone by deliberately making him suffer, whether or not he has refused an in initiative. Just as in the limiting case of rational persuasion one could speak of influence but hardly of power, so at the other end of the scale one can talk of power but not of influence, for influence is manifest in what a man is, does, or believes, not in what is simply made to happen to him by another man. There is nothing else in the World so big as power-strength. If you have that, you can get everything else. However, if you have it, and do not use it, then it rusts and decays on your hands. It is like a thoroughbred horse. You cannot keep it idle in the stable. If you do not exercise it, you lose it. When we enter upon a devious course, we think we shall have it in our power when we will to return to the right path. #RyanPhillippe 5 of 5