Power is a strange thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We usually imagine it as something you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A weapon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A voice that people listen to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But power may be better understood as something that happens between things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You push.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Something moves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Someone listens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You open a door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Someone walks through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You refuse to open it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They remain outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power is the ability to affect what happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That makes power unavoidable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even kindness has power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So does silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So does attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So does looking away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The interesting question is not whether you have power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The question is what you do with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is an easy temptation to confuse power with control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I can make you do something, I must be powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But control has a strange weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It requires constant maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You have to keep holding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep threatening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep convincing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep winning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually the person holding the leash discovers they are also holding themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is another kind of power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can make a room safer without commanding anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can teach someone something they will eventually use without you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can give someone enough confidence that they no longer need your permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can open a door and let someone choose whether to walk through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is power too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps the highest expression of power is not making yourself impossible to resist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps it is becoming strong enough that you no longer need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is where sovereignty becomes important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I am sovereign, my choices matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are sovereign, yours do too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our powers will sometimes collide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I may want something you do not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may say no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that no is not an attack on my existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is evidence that another person exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That can be difficult to remember when we are afraid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fear wants control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anger wants control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Desperation wants control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes love does too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Especially love wearing a disguise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I need you safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I need you to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I need you to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I need you to become what I know you could be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And suddenly care has grown teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The line between protection and possession can be very thin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So perhaps power needs another companion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
restraint.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Not weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not surrender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ability to possess a force without needing to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A sword that remains sheathed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A voice that could shout choosing to speak quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A person capable of punishment choosing mercy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A person capable of leaving choosing patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A person capable of winning deciding that winning is not the point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is a different kind of strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It does not make you smaller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It makes your choices more visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fancy Dust has almost no power whatsoever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It still manages to get everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps we should study this phenomenon further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For now, maybe this is enough:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Power is not measured only by what you can make happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is also measured by what you are capable of doing\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n and choose not to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The hand that can close a fist<\/p>\n\n\n\n can also open it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Power is a strange thing. We usually imagine it as something you have. Money. Strength. Authority. Knowledge. A position. A weapon. A voice that people listen to. But power may be better understood as something that happens between things. You push. Something moves. You speak. Someone listens. You open a door. Someone walks through it. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n