Power always corrupts the one who holds it.

"Power always corrupts the one who holds it.


    I spotted this quote on the English blog, and it really got me thinking. Does power always corrupt those who are in possession of it? In today's society, a lot of people are hungry for something - whether it be good looks, popularity, material items, but most commonly, people want money and power. Many people believe that if you are in possession of these things, that simply makes you a better person. But does it? In my opinion, the physical things you possess in life do not make you who you really are. However, if one person, who does possess these things, lets pride get to his or her head, it actually might define who they really are as a person. Such people can be cocky, snotty, and generally believe they are better than everyone else. People have written songs just about having lots of money and girls. Generally, what these musical artists imply in their songs, is that they are so great, just because they have "stacks in da house".

  Why do people sing about this? Why do people tweet about this? Why do people, all around the world, talk about this? Everywhere, there are people who think they are better. But why do they think like this? Because they believe they have power. Power, the thing so many of us crave. Power has the ability to make us feel excellent, high, mighty, and overall, can be a great confidence boost. Which is why so many people go seeking for it. However, power isn't always a great thing to have. Sure, it makes you feel great, but sometimes the people around you can be affected negatively. A great example of such a person is a bully. Bullies believe they have so much power over so many people. A bully likes to tease, taunt, and beat on people who he feels are lower than him. Once he does so, he feels great, and he gains from it personally. He sees a person being hurt under the influence of the actions that were of his doing, and that makes him feel stronger. So is the case with many other people, including people on the Internet, bashing others for their differences or beliefs.

    Now, all of you may be thinking that power is such a horrible thing, but believe it or not, there are actually people out there, who use it for other things. That is, good things. For example, someone who is more powerful than a bully, such as an adult, authorities, or even just another peer, can use their power over the bully, to stop him from doing or saying nasty things to others. Someone who has lots of power, may also have lots of money. Some may use it to buy expensive sports cars, but others may use it to do good. For example, Bill Gates, the 2nd richest man in the world, donated approximately $10,000,000,000 (10 billion) to develop and distribute vaccines. So you see, though Mr. Gates has power, he donated a large amount of his fortune to help others. How generous!

   So, does power always corrupt the one who holds it? I think not. Though there are a lot of greedy people out there whose main goal is to be first and are constantly trying to scratch up their way to the top, there are a lot of powerful people who do good with the power they have. Do keep in mind, this is my own personal opinion. Others may have opinions that vary from mine when it comes to topics such as this, so please keep this in consideration. To end off, here is a quote...

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.
~Abraham Lincoln