What is power?

Brandon Kelly6 said:But couldn't someone have power simply because of the position they hold within your "order"? huh?

That’s not really how I see my order playing out.
It’s more like a basic rule of nature—it's just the big fish eating the little fish, much like how a shark doesn't care about the rules of the reef!
Real power flows from actual strength rather than just being assigned a slot in a hierarchy.
Though, if you're talking strictly about an official title... like if someone is the President of the United States, then yeah, that authority definitely comes from the position itself!

Nancy Harris6 said:I really appreciate how you're looking at this! 👍

I find myself agreeing with just about everything you've posted in this thread...

@ Nathan Cook4 - hey there!

I can't claim credit for how unique that description was. I'm just here reading, listening, pulling it all together, and then meditating on it. I'm just searching for answers from "Him."

Anonymous said:And those vulnerabilities are exactly where we either gain or lose our edge.

I agree. Though, I’ve personally viewed them more as points of depletion.

@ sending high energy vibes your way🙂

Power...

isn't power really just potential? Like, an activity—an actual way of acting—that allows you to bring about some kind of targeted physical or spiritual change?

It doesn't necessarily have to be an active effect; like you pointed out, it could just be a possibility

Anonymous said:It doesn't necessarily have to be an active effect; like you pointed out, it could just be a possibility

I sketched out about three different ways to look at this so everyone can pick their own flavor... Regardless of how you slice it, power shows up through action, sure, but it also shows up through intentional inaction. I mean, an individual's freedom to choose whether or not to step in is its own kind of manifestation of power, isn't it?

If we’re looking at it from a religious angle: thought, word, deed, or omission > it all boils down to some form of "activity" that impacts someone or something somewhere.

brisktiger56 said:Power...

isn't power really just potential? Like, an activity—an actual way of acting—that allows you to bring about some kind of targeted physical or spiritual change?

Think of power as this invisible, intangible force that finds its way into our reality through tangible things.
It’s a single, unified essence, yet it holds everything from high-level calculus and theology to computer science and military tech under one big umbrella.
The physical ways we actually see it show up are basically just our tools—things like weapons, data, a solid friendship, manipulation, or even cold hard cash.

brisktiger56 said:I sketched out about three different ways to look at this so everyone can pick their own flavor... Regardless of how you slice it, power shows up through action, sure, but it also shows up through intentional inaction. I mean, an individual's freedom to choose whether or not to step in is its own kind of manifestation of power, isn't it?

If we’re looking at it from a religious angle: thought, word, deed, or omission > it all boils down to some form of "activity" that impacts someone or something somewhere.

I’d keep it simpler. Power is just pure potential. A manifestation might reflect that power, but it doesn't necessarily have to.

Not bad at all!

Potential—that intangible, almost ghostly thing...

It can show up in the physical realm or take a more spiritual route.

Physical power > say, having the strength to pick up a glass and grab a drink.
Spiritual power > like actually swallowing your pride and being able to listen to someone else's take.

brisktiger56 said:Not bad at all!

Potential—that intangible, almost ghostly thing...

It can show up in the physical realm or take a more spiritual route.

Physical power > say, having the strength to pick up a glass and grab a drink.
Spiritual power > like actually swallowing your pride and being able to listen to someone else's take.

Personally, I’d look at it this way: physical strength is just a byproduct of spiritual strength. It’s nowhere near as "powerful" or meaningful as we usually think it is.
Real spiritual power is vastly more significant, but it tends to be subtle. A few people might catch a glimpse of it, but most don't even bother looking.
Physical power is just much flashier and easier to get hooked on.

It makes sense—I’m with you there. It really just comes down to how humans perceive things, and our perception is pretty limited... which is why we tend to focus so much more on physical manifestations.

But think about this: what if someone possesses power through, say... the power of persuasion > the power of physically forcing a change in someone else's decision? That’s still primarily a spiritual action, right? It isn't some physical act, like slapping someone to force them to change their mind. History is absolutely packed with examples where that kind of influence sits way above the physical realm—which actually backs up your point. When Hitler manages to sway the masses (who, let's face it, are the easiest to manipulate), millions of innocent people suffer. Death is basically just a byproduct of that kind of power, isn't it?

So, how do you actually stay aware when you're being manipulated? How do you hold onto your own common sense—assuming, of course, that your perspective is actually the rational one compared to whatever someone else is trying to shove down your throat?

And more importantly, how do you make sure you don't end up throwing away your own power in the process?

How do you keep from throwing away your own power?

You have to hold more sway than the person trying to pull your strings.

Let's take a step back for a second. Craving power isn't actually a sign of strength. That kind of desperation might work on people who are weak, but it won't touch someone truly powerful.
Basically, if you’re desperate to influence someone—or what we usually call "manipulating" them—that very desire is what drains your leverage.
If you want to protect your autonomy from someone trying to force their will on you, you just need to be less afraid.

Anonymous said:

How do you keep from throwing away your own power?

You have to hold more sway than the person trying to pull your strings.

Let's take a step back for a second. Craving power isn't actually a sign of strength. That kind of desperation might work on people who are weak, but it won't touch someone truly powerful.
Basically, if you’re desperate to influence someone—or what we usually call "manipulating" them—that very desire is what drains your leverage.
If you want to protect your autonomy from someone trying to force their will on you, you just need to be less afraid.

So, does that mean fear just chips away at power, or does it kill it entirely?

brisktiger56 said:So, does that mean fear just chips away at power, or does it kill it entirely?

That’s a really fascinating question. I need to sit with that for a bit. In any case, it certainly can, though I'm not sure if it always has to. I'll post my thoughts on this later tonight.

Susan Price30 said:🙂 puts it very well...

And that would serve as a solid expansion of my initial thesis.😁

So, once we realize who and what we are (being aware of the inherent power we all possess), the next step is surrender and letting go... to the Ultimate Power (for Christians, that is Jesus)—to the idea (and the words)"not my will, but yours".

Only then are we truly powerful... and in the right place, I believe.

On man's natural enemies

There are four natural enemies of man: fear, clarity, power, and old age.

If one conquers the first enemy, fear, they attain spiritual clarity. With this spiritual clarity, when everything becomes crystal clear, a person no longer doubts their own decisions; instead, they become blinded by them. They will refuse to back down from anything, even when they must defy their own clarity and consider that it might actually be flawed.

Once they realize that this clarity is merely a point before their eyes, they will encounter power. This time, it will be true power; their desire becomes law. This is the most formidable of all enemies, and it is the easiest to succumb to once a man has become truly invincible. Power is nothing more than a burden on his destiny; such a man does not rule himself and lacks the wisdom to know how or when to wield his strength. If he realizes that clarity and power, when unguided by self-mastery, are more ruinous than mere mistakes, he will reach a point where he can govern everything. Only then will he know how to utilize his power, thereby defeating the third enemy.

At that stage, man will be at the end of his learning journey and, without warning, will face the final enemy: old age. By then, fears have vanished, and that impatient spiritual clarity is gone. It is a time when he wields his full power, yet also a time when he feels an irresistible urge to rest. If he gives in to this desire for repose and oblivion—if he indulges himself by yielding to exhaustion—he will lose the final round, and the enemy will prevail. His desire to withdraw will overpower his clarity, his power, and his knowledge. However, if a man overcomes this fatigue and lives out his destiny, he can be called a man of knowledge, even if it lasts only for the brief moment in which he manages to resist his final, indestructible enemy. That single moment of clarity, power, and knowledge is sufficient.

The moment being discussed is the transition of consciousness after death.

Power lies not in quantity, but in the quality of knowledge a person possesses. What use is knowing how many sticks of dynamite it takes to reach Jupiter? None at all.

brisktiger56 said:So, does that mean fear just chips away at power, or does it kill it entirely?

I promised I’d weigh in on this one.
Fear can definitely sap your strength if you let it take over the very thing you're afraid of. But it doesn't have to. You build power through every right decision and every principled action you take—and you can absolutely do that even when you're feeling terrified.
The real kicker isn't whether we feel fear, but whether we let fear be the thing that drives our decisions and actions.

Anonymous said:I promised I’d weigh in on this one.
Fear can definitely sap your strength if you let it take over the very thing you're afraid of. But it doesn't have to. You build power through every right decision and every principled action you take—and you can absolutely do that even when you're feeling terrified.
The real kicker isn't whether we feel fear, but whether we let fear be the thing that drives our decisions and actions.

It hasn't quite clicked for me yet...

My take is that fear essentially blocks power—specifically, each individual fear targets a specific type of capability. For instance, if a guy is too scared to walk up to a girl he likes, his "power" to initiate contact is basically frozen. It's also pretty interesting how procrastinating just feeds the fear, making the actual move—like finally talking to her—feel even more daunting.

How do you actually "overpower" fear? You'd need some kind of power to do that, wouldn't you?
You mentioned that by surrendering part of our power to fear, we diminish our specific capabilities...
So, what's the move? What should we be thinking or doing to prevent that from happening in the first place?

Jessica Gonzalez7 said: On man's natural enemies

There are four natural enemies of man: fear, clarity, power, and old age.

If one conquers the first enemy, fear, they attain spiritual clarity. With this spiritual clarity, when everything becomes crystal clear, a person no longer doubts their own decisions; instead, they become blinded by them. They will refuse to back down from anything, even when they must defy their own clarity and consider that it might actually be flawed.

Once they realize that this clarity is merely a point before their eyes, they will encounter power. This time, it will be true power; their desire becomes law. This is the most formidable of all enemies, and it is the easiest to succumb to once a man has become truly invincible. Power is nothing more than a burden on his destiny; such a man does not rule himself and lacks the wisdom to know how or when to wield his strength. If he realizes that clarity and power, when unguided by self-mastery, are more ruinous than mere mistakes, he will reach a point where he can govern everything. Only then will he know how to utilize his power, thereby defeating the third enemy.

At that stage, man will be at the end of his learning journey and, without warning, will face the final enemy: old age. By then, fears have vanished, and that impatient spiritual clarity is gone. It is a time when he wields his full power, yet also a time when he feels an irresistible urge to rest. If he gives in to this desire for repose and oblivion—if he indulges himself by yielding to exhaustion—he will lose the final round, and the enemy will prevail. His desire to withdraw will overpower his clarity, his power, and his knowledge. However, if a man overcomes this fatigue and lives out his destiny, he can be called a man of knowledge, even if it lasts only for the brief moment in which he manages to resist his final, indestructible enemy. That single moment of clarity, power, and knowledge is sufficient.

The moment being discussed is the transition of consciousness after death.

Power lies not in quantity, but in the quality of knowledge a person possesses. What use is knowing how many sticks of dynamite it takes to reach Jupiter? None at all.

Are those just your own observations or did you pull that from some book? Those lines feel a little too heavy-handed for my taste...

Isn't a person their own worst enemy—and arguably a natural enemy to everyone else, too?

brisktiger56 said:Are those just your own observations or did you pull that from some book? Those lines feel a little too heavy-handed for my taste...

Isn't a person their own worst enemy—and arguably a natural enemy to everyone else, too?

castaneda

brisktiger56 said:It hasn't quite clicked for me yet...

My take is that fear essentially blocks power—specifically, each individual fear targets a specific type of capability. For instance, if a guy is too scared to walk up to a girl he likes, his "power" to initiate contact is basically frozen. It's also pretty interesting how procrastinating just feeds the fear, making the actual move—like finally talking to her—feel even more daunting.

How do you actually "overpower" fear? You'd need some kind of power to do that, wouldn't you?
You mentioned that by surrendering part of our power to fear, we diminish our specific capabilities...
So, what's the move? What should we be thinking or doing to prevent that from happening in the first place?

In principle, we're saying the same thing here. Every time you cave to fear, your power weakens. Every time you push through it, your power grows.
How do you overpower fear? Through will—through decision. We don't need to get bogged down in a deep dive into the mechanics of how willpower works. It's pretty straightforward, like the old saying goes: "you just have to find the strength." Once you muster that strength, the fear loses its grip, and that power becomes yours to use.