What is power?

dustyskipper3 said:True power is essentially 'inner peace,' having self-control, or perhaps just the ability to master one's own selfishness and those more primitive, animalistic impulses we all carry within us.

Winning against other people makes you strong; however, the one who conquers themselves is what I would call truly powerful. (Lao-tzu)🧐

It’s similar to what Zachary Cook2 mentioned regarding spiritual 'black magic' being a way to 'conquer' others, whereas spiritual 'white magic' is about mastering oneself—it's how you defeat those who lash out at others simply because they lack the capacity to control their own negativity and ego.

👍

Power is a lot like money—you can use it for good, or you can absolutely wreck things with it if you aren't careful...

Susan Price30 said:They aren't part of the same package,
nor do they follow the same set of rules.🙏

To be honest—they represent diametrically opposed consciousnesses (and worlds).

More accurately: all spiritual teachings provide a crystal clear definition of Evil as the direct antithesis to Good—every single teaching except for witchcraft.

But those groups are statistically so small that their take on spirituality is considered marginal and
extreme...

It really is the same package, even if it feels different.
Spiritual teachings—not religious ones, mind you—all point out that you can't have white without black, or black without white. That realization comes from actually living life, not from some dusty theory about how life *should* work.

jademarlin26 said:There is a dedicated subforum for religious discussions.

Sure, but this isn't really the place to go looking for answers. 🙂 There are way too many trolls coming out of nowhere. It's basically a freak show.

Look, you're the one who started pulling the 'religious question' card, not me—so feel free to explain yourself if you want to.
If not, no big deal...

wearyowl29 said:It really is the same package, even if it feels different.
Spiritual teachings—not religious ones, mind you—all point out that you can't have white without black, or black without white. That realization comes from actually living life, not from some dusty theory about how life *should* work.

Interesting, I didn't know that...

At its core, power is really just a fancy word for responsibility, duty, and obligation.

Think about it, starting with the smallest building block of our society—the family unit.
If you’re a parent, you hold this massive amount of influence to steer your kid toward a certain path in life. That’s your duty, plain and simple. Now the question is, am I going to use that leverage to force my own unfulfilled dreams onto them (just because I have the muscle to do it)
or am I actually going to be responsible and wise enough to pay attention, see what they’re actually good at, and guide them based on who they really are?
That’s where most people trip up, honestly; they totally misunderstand how to handle the power they've been given.

It’s just a feeling. Usually fleeting and pretty unrealistic...

Brandon Kelly6 said:It’s just a feeling. Usually fleeting and pretty unrealistic...

Well, if you follow that logic, everything around you is just some transient, unreal sensation... You're definitely underselling the influence you actually have, though. You really are.

brisktiger56 said:Well, if you follow that logic, everything around you is just some transient, unreal sensation... You're definitely underselling the influence you actually have, though. You really are.

People generally tend to exaggerate their feelings and shrink the whole world down to just their own perspective.
this little bit of "power" I have is honestly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. that's what I want to learn and understand... without kidding myself into thinking I can actually change anything important.

Operating on pure philosophy, are we? 😁
Or perhaps you’re just hunting for a new muse to worship.

Michelle Murphy61 said:Operating on pure philosophy, are we? 😁
Or perhaps you’re just hunting for a new muse to worship.

Oh, look at her go...😁
Nah. I'm being serious. You can tell...

You’re just fishing for attention—I know your type. 😳

Now comes the ban; we don't allow that kind of talk here. 🙄

Brandon Kelly6 said:People generally tend to exaggerate their feelings and shrink the whole world down to just their own perspective.
this little bit of "power" I have is honestly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. that's what I want to learn and understand... without kidding myself into thinking I can actually change anything important.

Most people tend to underestimate that "little" bit of influence they actually do hold.

brisktiger56 said:Most people tend to underestimate that "little" bit of influence they actually do hold.

How do you decide what's underestimated versus what's overrated? What would you say is the "real price"...?

Brandon Kelly6 said:People generally tend to exaggerate their feelings and shrink the whole world down to just their own perspective.
this little bit of "power" I have is honestly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. that's what I want to learn and understand... without kidding myself into thinking I can actually change anything important.

Look, you either have that perspective or you don't. So wouldn't it be smarter to just adapt your mindset to whatever "environment" you're actually dealing with?

this tiny bit of "power" I have is totally insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe. And honestly, that's exactly what I want—to see and understand it without kidding myself into thinking I can change anything major.

In the context of the entire universe, sure, it's basically nothing—but inside your own head? It's everything.

wearyhawk83 said:Look, you either have that perspective or you don't. So wouldn't it be smarter to just adapt your mindset to whatever "environment" you're actually dealing with?

this tiny bit of "power" I have is totally insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe. And honestly, that's exactly what I want—to see and understand it without kidding myself into thinking I can change anything major.

In the context of the entire universe, sure, it's basically nothing—but inside your own head? It's everything.

It really depends on what you're looking for. Usually, after trying to force that kind of adaptation, you just end up frustrated...

Back in the day, the master blacksmiths who forged swords were often held in higher regard than the warriors who actually carried them. I suppose when you have two masters at the absolute top of their game, choosing a winner is an impossible task. So, they reached a sort of agreement—each would forge a single blade, and then they’d put them through a test to finally settle the score.
The test was simple, if somewhat unconventional: they would plunge both blades into the bed of a stream, edge-up, facing upstream. And that is exactly what they did.
It was autumn, and a few stray leaves were drifting lazily down the current. As each leaf drifted into the path of the first smith's sword, it would be sliced clean through.

But on the second smith's blade... not a single leaf managed to touch the edge. It stayed untouched.

So, which of these blades is actually the more powerful one?

Timothy Green19 said:Back in the day, the master blacksmiths who forged swords were often held in higher regard than the warriors who actually carried them. I suppose when you have two masters at the absolute top of their game, choosing a winner is an impossible task. So, they reached a sort of agreement—each would forge a single blade, and then they’d put them through a test to finally settle the score.
The test was simple, if somewhat unconventional: they would plunge both blades into the bed of a stream, edge-up, facing upstream. And that is exactly what they did.
It was autumn, and a few stray leaves were drifting lazily down the current. As each leaf drifted into the path of the first smith's sword, it would be sliced clean through.

But on the second smith's blade... not a single leaf managed to touch the edge. It stayed untouched.

So, which of these blades is actually the more powerful one?

I like this story. But I wonder how much power either would have if there were rocks rolling along the bottom of that creek? You know what I mean... power is relative...

Brandon Kelly6 said:It really depends on what you're looking for. Usually, after trying to force that kind of adaptation, you just end up frustrated...

If we're talking about having unrealistic expectations, then yeah, absolutely.

Timothy Green19 said:Back in the day, the master blacksmiths who forged swords were often held in higher regard than the warriors who actually carried them. I suppose when you have two masters at the absolute top of their game, choosing a winner is an impossible task. So, they reached a sort of agreement—each would forge a single blade, and then they’d put them through a test to finally settle the score.
The test was simple, if somewhat unconventional: they would plunge both blades into the bed of a stream, edge-up, facing upstream. And that is exactly what they did.
It was autumn, and a few stray leaves were drifting lazily down the current. As each leaf drifted into the path of the first smith's sword, it would be sliced clean through.

But on the second smith's blade... not a single leaf managed to touch the edge. It stayed untouched.

So, which of these blades is actually the more powerful one?

Honestly, the greatest victory is the one where you don't even have to fight.

Brandon Kelly6 said:I like this story. But I wonder how much power either would have if there were rocks rolling along the bottom of that creek? You know what I mean... power is relative...

Power isn't something you can just call relative.
What *is* relative is where that energy actually comes from, kind of like how different fuel sources change how fast a car can go!

Brandon Kelly6 said:How do you decide what's underestimated versus what's overrated? What would you say is the "real price"...?

Look, if you're a grounded person, you probably realize that you actually have the agency to make things happen—and how you choose to act ends up defining you, just as much as it affects everyone else. That’s what power is. Whether it's big or small, whether you're physically fit or navigating life in a wheelchair, you've got some kind of leverage, and you can do a lot with it. If Sršen had ever sold herself short, or played down what she was capable of by retreating into her own head... she'd likely just be posting depressing stuff in those "mental health struggle" threads, moping about how powerless she is.

"When she was 12, Ana Sršen had a leg amputated due to a sarcoma. She took up swimming and started competing at a serious level back in 1995[1]. In 2000, Ana Sršen launched training programs and a swim school specifically for children with special needs."

Link to the article

Today, Ana has that power, and she's channeled it into helping kids who really need it.