Power Enables Us to Help Others
Power is the ability to do good things for others. – Leo TolstoyTrue power is not about control or status. It is about using what you have to help others grow, heal, or feel supported. Tolstoy reminds us that strength shows itself through kindness and service. When power is guided by compassion, it becomes a force that improves lives rather than dominates them.
I’m sure there have been rulers since the time of Marcus Aurelius who have embodied this idea.
One could point to the great thinkers at the time of The Enlightenment in Europe and the authors of the U.S. Constitution.
Certainly, there have been some great world leaders here and there, including some of our American presidents, but too many have risen to and held power merely to build their wealth and power, and to punish their enemies. We don’t need to look too much further than our own president today to see that.
