Who is a powerful person?

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Here I don't intend to go into the "bases of power and their types" as is generally discussed in any book on the subject.

Power is a capacity which one, in a pre-structured system, acquires or inherits. 

It makes its presence felt easily if it is there. It can change the status quo the way it likes. It has the potential to create a difference.

I have seen many powerful ones of the past as well as of the present.

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                     With the passage of time I have found that in the eye of common people,a powerful person is none but one who enjoys privilege under the pretext that it is critical to the performance of duty effectively; can mould the system in his personal favour; has potential to cause harm subtly or substantially in the name of exercise of power to those refusing to fall in line drawn by the powerful.

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 In the old days people, in the company of one having power, felt secured against any untoward things happening with them.They thought that their powerful master (or neighbour) will take care of them in case of any eventuality. 

But this is no more the situation today. 

In most of the cases the so called powerful one is waiting to see you fall from where you are. 

Sometimes, these powerful ones strategically use your helplessness to their rise and you largely remain unaware of their plot.

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People, surrounded by powerful ones of present time, feel frightened; not protected. 

                      You know why? These powerful people are unbalanced by the surfeit of power. For such people power is nothing but a tool to impose,impress and more importantly demonstrate to "others" the authority upon those who do not have it.

 It satisfies their ego, though they deny it.

                 Besides, the powerful of present days have an Argus eye on those who they find to prosper or grow in his surroundings.

                  Needless to say,so long as the commoners, by demand of the situation, remain in virtual or physical presence of powerful ones, only feel ill at ease with that "powerful ambience" 

They want to escape the situation charged with the presence of the powerful ones.

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In view of the above extant fact, we need to define a "powerful person" differently.

Having studied their nature in details,I have made an attempt to define a powerful person. 

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In view of the above discussion there could be two tests of recognising the one who is "powerful".

Test-1.

              A powerful person is one whose acts are propelled by welfarian value that benefits your interest and prospects.

Test-2.

             A powerful person is one whose acts are accompanied by nuisance value showing only use of authority that puts you in the soup. 

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However, the best test of powerful is that which is due to Seneca. 

Seneca has defined powerful as below---

"The most powerful is he who has "himself" in his power."

 One and all should aspire to become this type of powerful. 

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                  P.S- * The person having nuisance value need not have welfarian value. Even if they have it, the same is used to promote the interest of his kith and kin only.

                       ** I have also been led to find that most of the powerful ones of the present days are far from being impartial and just. 

While outwardly showing indifference or abhorrence to sycophancy and servility they become internally pleased at the very sight of such behaviour shown to them as a mark of respect. 

 Sycophancy & Servility; they hold these two very dear to heart. These two act for them like a B-complex pills which a hypocondriac is usually seen to take just as a vitalizer.

Such powerful person before giving "anything" to anyone, his first and foremost criteria is to check first the performance of the receiver on " Sycophancy & Servility Index".

 This index is a self-designed parameters of the powerful. 

Only after the clearance by this index; things like merit, honesty, competency etc. may come or it may not come at all in their mind;for these qualities today are not in demand. 

 These are optional; no more necessary in quite a number of decisions of powerful. Sometimes these attributes are shortshrifted to the extent of detested or abhorred.

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It is for you to choose that which suits you better or makes you feel comfortable.

                                          R.R.Prabhakar.

                                             20.09.2022.