One of the things he points out (in several places in this series), is how "we" (meaning, generally, western peoples) have come to trade in our actual power for the appearance/image of power, or failing that, for a story about how all power lies ELSEWHERE and is being misused...
As I riffed on this thought, I realised that to accept a power is to also accept responsibility for the use of that power, and for the consequences. Whereas to accept the image of power, or to accept a story of power lying elsewhere, does not.
Each of us is powerful, as in we possess abilities, and capabilities, often unregarded, unused, untested, but real. These powers may be small* - we can change things that are within our reach - the state of our houses and gardens, the happiness of a few people, etc - BUT they are real. If we choose to use one of our powers, this directs us to the domain of ACTION, not of APPEARANCE. And, of course, in the domain of action we risk failing. To act, is to accept risk. And to accept the power of action, is to accept the responsibility of action.
And, actually, I think this is the move most likely to restore each of us to our place in the dance... :)
*obviously none of us is ALL-powerful, and the world remains chock full of things we cannot change or influence. However, the real, if small powers we do have, should not be discounted, or disregarded, nor left to rust unused... nor should we be too quick to succumb to the multiple temptations to cede them to outside forces - whether narratives, or experts, or rules, or conventions, fear of failing, fear of judgment, or the weightiness of personal responsibility, or anything else.
no subject
I have had a few more thoughts on the matter, partly in response to stuff I'm reading... https://samzdat.com/the-uruk-series/
One of the things he points out (in several places in this series), is how "we" (meaning, generally, western peoples) have come to trade in our actual power for the appearance/image of power, or failing that, for a story about how all power lies ELSEWHERE and is being misused...
As I riffed on this thought, I realised that to accept a power is to also accept responsibility for the use of that power, and for the consequences. Whereas to accept the image of power, or to accept a story of power lying elsewhere, does not.
Each of us is powerful, as in we possess abilities, and capabilities, often unregarded, unused, untested, but real. These powers may be small* - we can change things that are within our reach - the state of our houses and gardens, the happiness of a few people, etc - BUT they are real. If we choose to use one of our powers, this directs us to the domain of ACTION, not of APPEARANCE. And, of course, in the domain of action we risk failing. To act, is to accept risk. And to accept the power of action, is to accept the responsibility of action.
And, actually, I think this is the move most likely to restore each of us to our place in the dance... :)
*obviously none of us is ALL-powerful, and the world remains chock full of things we cannot change or influence. However, the real, if small powers we do have, should not be discounted, or disregarded, nor left to rust unused... nor should we be too quick to succumb to the multiple temptations to cede them to outside forces - whether narratives, or experts, or rules, or conventions, fear of failing, fear of judgment, or the weightiness of personal responsibility, or anything else.