Petty Power Trip Backfire
I found myself pondering our concepts of power during the commute to work this morning – I have no idea why. The struggle for power affects us all. It is a direct extension of our self-preferential worldview, in which we do anything to promote our will over others. Survival of the Fittest – not necessarily.
Whether you’re a corporate CEO, a CEO President, or “just” the House Majority Leader, power is the game. These examples are obvious, but little people like me do it too. Rudeness to strangers, road rage, all the petty ways to cheat the system from drifting into the intersection in anticipation of the green light to cutting in line at the grocery as all examples of how we force ourselves upon others to their detriment, examples of power over others.
During this morning’s commute, I saw a person who was not winning his personal power game. What caught my eye in the gray morning dimness was the rhythmic flash of his (or hers - I didn’t see the driver) break lights; every seven seconds (I counted) he tapped his breaks for a bit. Too close to the car in front who was traveling at a comfortable five miles over the speed limit, which serves as the typical speed in Chicagoland, the driver was forced by his own need for road dominance to pump the pedal in frustration. No doubt the driver in front of him remained unaware of his distress. My reaction of bemusement found a voice in my utterance of: “What’s your hurry? You’re only going to work.” Indeed, he turned into a row of light industry a half mile further.
Who benefits from this mindless and idiotic behavior? No one does. The first driver remains oblivious, perhaps his default state, and goes about his day. I and possible the others nearby have our various neutral reactions. The real loser is the break-light man, whose own impatience set the stage for a needlessly stressful commute – at six in the morning – which likely will affect the rest of his day. The kicker is he does this to himself!
Such are the mechanics of our uncontrolled, subconscious desire to dominance. Poor guy, I hope we wises up some day.