(no subject)

[adrienmundi]

Talking with the most beloved last night (while listening to some dreadfully retro techno) kind of underscored some of my issues on the whole power thing (it's my obssession du moment). She pointed out that lots of people grant/give it to me, and my unplanned response was, "Well, sure, I guess I'm worthy of that power insofar as I don't excercise it". I'm not sure what I meant with 'excercise', but I thought it was interesting that I feel like a safe repository, but not a safe agent. I wonder why/when I came into the notion that power is BAD, or at best meddlesome and tricky.

Maybe it's just that I don't think I know any other way to use it other than bluntly, coercively. I know that in any interaction, there is some power being implemented, but it doesn't feel like I'm bringing anything to bear (it may be tied in to my unwillingness to recognize effort that seems, well, effortless).

Kind of losing my point here; I'm off track.

Comments

[scottopic.livejournal.com]

Ok, here's the point where we short people have to ask you to lower your head so we can kick it!

If 'power' is perpetually being used in all interchanges (or exchanges) then you don't really have to think about it, just acknowledge that it is. For the exercise, perhaps record in your mind various communications and then replay them later to look for various points. Remember that one person's possessing power in this sense doesn't make them The Powerful, it makes them one who communicates and with whom people communicate. Think of your favourite teacher/professor/person who taught you something - they're possessing much power in a particular context, but (usually) it isn't a blunt force thing. Gauge your own interchanges in that -- don't forget to also look in contexts where you're also on the empowering end (lest you get too assumptive that you're on some weird pedestal, which may seem odd, but may be awfully close to conclusions one could draw from this line of thought - "PEOPLE GIVE ME POWER! BEHOLD A-ALMIGHTY!").

[skiadaimonos.livejournal.com]

any examples of concrete cases/situations?