Power Dynamics Unveiled

Two different scenarios, same main character. Stay with me. In the first scenario, a woman dressed as Elsa from Disney’s Frozen (don’t worry I had to Google her, too) walks into a kindergarten classroom in Los Angeles. In the second scenario, the same woman walks into the corporate offices for a major food redistribution company in Burbank. 

In the first scenario, the room erupts into unimaginable joy and excitement. As the most captivating character in America’s toddler population, Elsa garners respect from her audience. Elsa holds the room in the palm of her hand. This woman could even get the kids to sit quietly, legs crossed, and listen to her every word. Hell, she likely could get them to eat their vegetables and make doing homework cool. Now, that’s power. 

In the second scenario, not so much. The first reaction is simple:

“Call security.” 

Maybe the example is hyperbole, but it’s just to prove a point about power dynamics. Sometimes people who desire power misunderstand how power works in the first place. Elsa was powerful in the first scenario because the kids gave her that power. She’s the same person in the second scenario, but the audience doesn’t grant her the same authority as the kindergarten class. 

Power is given to those in power.

Conversely, power cannot be taken. This has two major implications:

1. If you’re looking for power over others, you can’t make them. 
2. If you have people and things in your life that bear unwanted power over you, it might be time to remove your support of that dynamic. 

Before I leave you, I must mention one exception. Power can be taken forcibly with violence and humanity has a dark history of power being claimed over others against their will with violence. This is the one exception to the rule above. 

Elsa didn’t have a weapon in the examples above and I hope most power dynamics in your life are free of this exception. That said, the insights reign true. Keep going.