Nichelle Week 12: Everybody Wants To Rule The World
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" - Lord Acton.
On the other side of the spectrum, there have been leaders of undeniable influence, that had been hungry for that power. Some malevolent of examples being Adolf Hitler and Emperor Hirohito, both of who were apart of the Axis Powers and ruled during World War 2. For leaders like these men, achieving that power had been their main goal. A person hungry for power will historically never attempt to attain it on ethical means. Something holds true in almost ever example of a dictator that has been historically recorded. When an individual aspires to be powerful, it is often that they do not aspire for the betterment of all, as much as they do their own personal aspirations.
Leaderships requires a certain amount of selflessness, the drive to put the need of others over one's own ambition. Historical examples should influence the collective into making better decision for those who are appointed leader.
Hey Nichelle! This is such a cool take! People usually think leadership is about domineering, but it's truly amount giving back to the community. Your statement on individuals that aspire to be powerful not doing it "for the betterment of all" but "their own personal aspirations" was very thoughtful! Even though I wouldn't say leaders are perfect (because Mahatma Gandhi was considered a racist and a pedophile himself), they still try to bring out the best version of themselves as a form of representation for their people. However, if power ever goes to the wrong person who yields it incorrectly, it will of course reap plenty of consequences. This whole idea of selflessness doesn't have to be the sole reason, but there should definitely be a good intention that is used as a source of motivation. It makes me wonder if we're going in the wrong direction considering that we now have convicted felons and Nazi-saluters as our leaders of America. Nonetheless, time will tell what will become of the people when they realize their view of their leader fails to reflect their actual actions. Your post was really thought-provoking and I enjoyed reading it as always! Awesome job!
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ReplyDeleteI really like how you introduced your blog with such a powerful quote. It is as though everyone is aware of the message that is conveyed through that quote, however, we see the opposite in the historical examples that you provided. It is very valid and interesting how you point out that good leaders are people forced into leadership positions, while poor leaders are people who are hungry for that power on a daily basis, like you stated. After reading your blog, I also got reminded of another aspect of history, where numerous children or teenagers are forced into the position of ruling an empire because of reasons such as their father dying, and this ends up making them a really great ruler most of the time, despite the circumstances they have had to deal with. I also really appreciate how you were able to kind of utilize juxtaposition in your blog by highlighting positive and negative figures in history, which ultimately makes your blog a lot more interesting to read.
Hi Nichelle! Your blog was an incredibly compelling read on the different perceptions of power and how they manifest in people differently! I especially liked the structure of your writing and how you thoroughly discussed both the positive and negative examples of power manifestations in different eras of history. The contrasts that you explained between very reluctant leaders, like Washington and Gandhi, and other power-hungry ones, like Hitler and Emperor Hirohito, were very fascinating, and I particularly admired that you included how their specific leadership styles affected their people as well as the world around them. It’s true that throughout history, the people who have sought power have frequently prioritized their own wants or needs over the well-being of their subjects, and while we often think about dictators like Hitler as being in the past, I think that we can see that trait in many modern leaders as well. I appreciated that you acknowledged how true leadership also requires selflessness, since we often overlook that characteristic in favor of more sought-after qualities in a leader (like ambition or charisma), when in reality, people who view leadership as more of a privilege than a right have had more positive impacts on their communities. Your blog was extremely well-written, and I look forward to your insights in the future!
ReplyDeleteHi Nichelle! I was drawn to your blog because I actually wrote one that was similar to it! The topic of power and who deserves it is an important one and has always fascinated me. I like how you approached this subject with concrete evidence of leaders, like George Washington and Adolf Hitler, instead of simply referring to it abstractly. One quote that I thought of while reading this was "With great power comes great responsibility," which Spiderman said (he famously did not want his power; this is precisely what made him such a good superhero). I think superheroes and villains are actually a great example fore the variations of power, alongside the historical examples you brought up. Power must be held with reluctance and caution; anything else would result in a tyrannical rule. I liked your historical perspective on this topic and your blog was great to read!
ReplyDeleteHi Nichelle! I love this perspective and I honestly believe that the reasons you mentioned in your post are why nations around the world struggle with corrupt leaders. If a person wants to work in the government or become a political figure, they should do it for the betterment of the people and of the nation. The whole point of a democracy is that the government serves the people, not the other way around. The ones in charge are there to elevate us, not to amass more wealth. However, people often abuse power for personal gain, and because we don't really have a system to counter this, those who seek power are often the worst candidates. I really admire the way that you manage to capture this idea through your examples of Hitler and Hirohito. I really like how you pointed out that a vital quality for good leadership is selflessness because no society has ever prospered under a selfish leader. I also love how you tied selflessness in with your examples of Washington and Gandhi because they are both people who did not want to engage in politics but were ultimately the best suited for it. Overall, I think your post was very well reasoned and I look forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the blog post’s title, my mind immediately went to the Tears for Fears song. I was a bit disappointed that your blog post for this week was not about this song, but I do resonate with your claims about leadership. History has shown us time and time again that leadership is a spectrum, with one end of the spectrum utilizing the power for the betterment of the people they lead and the other end using such power for their own gain. It is so important, especially in this day and age, to make better decisions for who to appoint as a leader and consider how they will use their power as a leader to ensure that the lives of the people being led are better than before. Yes, everybody wants to rule the world, but are they capable of using that power to lead selflessly? Thank you once again for this blog post, Nichelle!
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