marinaibrahim19
Dec 8, 2015
Writing Feedback / Which corrupts more, power or powerlessness? [5]
As a teenager, you do not have much say in what goes on in your life. I am currently living the last of my teenage years, in two months I will be considered a legal adult and often I look back on my past teenage years and think "wow, I thought I had so much control over my life when I had none." My parents made me think I was making the decisions for myself, but they always decided everything. They decided when/where I was allowed to go with my friends. Whether or not I was sick enough to not go to school and even little things such as if my outfit was good enough to leave the house in. Along with my parents, there were teachers who had control over how I was going to spend my afternoon/night through the amount of homework they assigned. They have had full control of my future in the fact that they may have thought my English paper deserved a C when really, I thought it was a solid A+; we just happened to have different writing styles.
Whether we realize it or not, both power and powerlessness are corruptive. However, in very different ways. Power often makes people take control of other people's lives consciously or unconsciously. Also, power has its positives, that sense of control creates competition in society which is exactly what we need for society to continue evolving. Power does not only mean to be controlling and demanding, the way a dictator may be. I am currently a senior in high school, all other seniors in my school are my competition. We all want to be the valedictorian for example, however only one of us can be that. The person who ends up being valedictorian is the one who is is power filled, which is not a bad thing. This person has the power to go to any college he desires because he is the best in the school. He has the highest chance of getting the most scholarship for any school because, again, he is the best in the school. That is power; it can be a motivator to be the best.
Powerlessness makes a person weak and vulnerable, looking at the opposite of the end of the spectrum, the students who have done the worst in school, are begging colleges for an acceptance. They are also willing to pay full tuition for any school because of how powerless they are. They also have given up since they have been so unsuccessful in the past, but this valedictorian will not give up, because he does not want to lose that power when he has worked so hard to gain it. Powerlessness makes a person lazy and irresponsible is is a lot more corrupt than power which creates competition and motivation.
When one realizes they are powerless, one becomes insecure. Powerlessness does not only affect your motivation, but you as a whole. Imagine always being told exact what to do and when to do it and how to do it. You will never develop that sense of self. You will never learn to be independent. You will always be waiting and depending on the powerful person for precise and detailed instructions. As a powerless person, you are slowing down the evolvement of our society so much more than society can afford. Power corrupts, but powerlessness corrupts more in ways society often overlooks.
As a teenager, you do not have much say in what goes on in your life. I am currently living the last of my teenage years, in two months I will be considered a legal adult and often I look back on my past teenage years and think "wow, I thought I had so much control over my life when I had none." My parents made me think I was making the decisions for myself, but they always decided everything. They decided when/where I was allowed to go with my friends. Whether or not I was sick enough to not go to school and even little things such as if my outfit was good enough to leave the house in. Along with my parents, there were teachers who had control over how I was going to spend my afternoon/night through the amount of homework they assigned. They have had full control of my future in the fact that they may have thought my English paper deserved a C when really, I thought it was a solid A+; we just happened to have different writing styles.
Whether we realize it or not, both power and powerlessness are corruptive. However, in very different ways. Power often makes people take control of other people's lives consciously or unconsciously. Also, power has its positives, that sense of control creates competition in society which is exactly what we need for society to continue evolving. Power does not only mean to be controlling and demanding, the way a dictator may be. I am currently a senior in high school, all other seniors in my school are my competition. We all want to be the valedictorian for example, however only one of us can be that. The person who ends up being valedictorian is the one who is is power filled, which is not a bad thing. This person has the power to go to any college he desires because he is the best in the school. He has the highest chance of getting the most scholarship for any school because, again, he is the best in the school. That is power; it can be a motivator to be the best.
Powerlessness makes a person weak and vulnerable, looking at the opposite of the end of the spectrum, the students who have done the worst in school, are begging colleges for an acceptance. They are also willing to pay full tuition for any school because of how powerless they are. They also have given up since they have been so unsuccessful in the past, but this valedictorian will not give up, because he does not want to lose that power when he has worked so hard to gain it. Powerlessness makes a person lazy and irresponsible is is a lot more corrupt than power which creates competition and motivation.
When one realizes they are powerless, one becomes insecure. Powerlessness does not only affect your motivation, but you as a whole. Imagine always being told exact what to do and when to do it and how to do it. You will never develop that sense of self. You will never learn to be independent. You will always be waiting and depending on the powerful person for precise and detailed instructions. As a powerless person, you are slowing down the evolvement of our society so much more than society can afford. Power corrupts, but powerlessness corrupts more in ways society often overlooks.
