Ask people whether or not it is "good" for someone to desire power and most will say no, then ask whether it is good to be passionate about wanting to change the world for the better and most will say yes.
But how can anyone change the world in any way without having the power to do so? Ironically enough, they can’t.
Some form of power is necessary to accomplish anything significant. Thus, if one wants to make positive change in the world, which is a good thing, one will also need to eventually obtain power. Still, many people who are eager to solve the world's big problems are afraid to pursue it, and are still left wondering why they accomplish nothing.
Let's have a deeper look at what it means to have power, why some are afraid to pursue it, and how having the right mindset can be useful. It is, after all, the #pob-wotw :).
Definitions
First, let's have a quick look at what Google has to say about the meaning of power so that we have a simple definition in place for reference.
Power is:
the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way.
the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.
In other words, it is both the ability of oneself to accomplish something or decide how something gets done, as well as the ability to influence others in that regard. As we all know, making big change for the better in the world is rarely done by a sole individual, but requires the effort, support or following of others.
The misconception
So why are people afraid to say that they want power? Or think suspiciously of those who do? One explanation could be that people perceive those who want power to desire it in order to benefit personally from their ability to use others to their own advantage. Given the state of the world and many people's experiences with their bosses at work, it is hard to blame them for thinking that way.
However, that's not on power itself, but rather on assholes who should not have it to begin with. What if I want power because I want to bring people together and build a decentralized ecosystem where individuals are able to really own their own digital assets? What if I want power because I want to help push the boundaries of our existence in space travel or exploration? A quick conclusion would be that it's not whether or not someone wants power that is important, it is why they want it to begin with.
Money and power
The taboo of wanting power is a bit similar to money and wealth. At least where I’m from, it is almost embarrassing to say that one really wants to obtain a lot of money. Most will look down on such a person and think that they haven’t yet figured out that happiness is what matters and that money beyond what’s needed to live comfortably is just a distraction and obsession that people then end up regretting later in life. I could write a whole new article on the many assumptions and misconceptions that goes into this, but I’ll leave that for later.
What's funny is that the same people that are eager to tell you how they don't crave more money also tend to have very strong opinions about how the societies they live in should do more to combat poverty, do more to protect the environment, or more of everything for that matter. But guess what? With more money, they could help accomplish those things themselves. Whether directly through donations to the most impactful charities working on those issues, or indirectly through starting or investing in new companies building related solutions.
Instead, these people end up yelling at others to solve the problems they care about for them. Whether it be through «activism» or protests, or through wanting a bigger government to tax the wealthy more in order to fund public programs trying to address them.
These are not the things you do when you are passionate. These are the things you do when you don’t have power.
Want to change the world for the better? Go get the power to do so
The misconceptions about money are again similar to the misconceptions about power. When most people say they don't think money is important to them to be happy, what they really mean is that they don't think materialism, or owning more expensive things, is important to them. Which is very different from money. Similar, when people say that power is not important to them, what they really mean is either that they have no ambitions or that they don't feel the need to be in a controlling position of others. But again, that's different. You can have power and use it with others to accomplish the goals you both want. And if the goals are big, achieving them without power is simply not an option.
So if you really want to make change for the better, then you first need to obtain the power necessary to have the capacity to do so, or the influence to have others help accomplish it (ref the earlier definition). For some, this could mean working hard and saving to obtain the financial means to fund or build solutions. For others, it could mean steadily gaining influence and support from others by being someone they see as a being or proposing a positive influence in their lives.
Whichever road one ends up choosing, it needs to result in one gaining power.
Conclusion
The world is shaped by those who are bold enough to make things happen. Yet, it's increasingly become part of progressive culture that seeking power is almost a toxicity. Thus, many of the people who claim to be the most passionate about achieving change end up achieving nothing other than making a lot of noise at those who do. Perhaps that's for the better, as I'm not sure I want to see those people accomplish the changes that they want anyway.
But for those of us who do believe in a more decentralized and free future, do not be afraid to want power, but do so with your goals well stated for people to see, understand and adopt.