Human Nature And The Desire For Superiority

Throughout history, there has been many experiences where the abuse of power showed a backlash that caused it’s wielder great harm. When speaking in context of the use of unhealthy power that leads to appalling consequences, it can be seen that the abuse of power causes a battle between conscience and the hunger for superiority, where the strength of the power correlates with the hunger for it. A story called “The Monkey’s Paw” displays a talisman as a virtually unlimited source of power. Within the story, there is a man named Sergeant-Major Morris that is welcomed into the home of the main characters, Mrs. and Mr. White. Sergeant Major tries to burn the monkey’s paw (talisman), but instead has Mr. White snatch it before it's destruction.

The bitterest contradiction and the deadliest conflicts of the world are carried on in every individual breast capable of feeling and passion” (Raskin 116). Even those with the best intentions can create some of the deadliest atrocities as passion can take control over one's emotions. This emotional instability can be seen in Heart of Darkness as Joseph Conrad illustrates how one’s “passion” of saving others slowly turned into a madness that caused hundreds of fatalities. We wonder, what could cause a man, such as Kurtz, in Heart of Darkness, to enter another country with the best intentions, to become so violent and be the reason behind thousands of brutal and torturous killings without any resentment. It was the unchecked power instilled within Kurtz that led him to act on his horrific impulses. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad claims one who has an unchecked power can fear losing it so eminently, that he or she is willing to engender atrocities that sustain the power the individual possess. In this case, Conrad suggests one way an individual reinforces his or her power on others is through annihilation.

History is brimming with examples of people who, in a ravenous quest for power, have met their untimely end. Lord John Acton famously quipped: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Perhaps, prior to making those astute remarks, Lord Acton had studied The Tragedy of Macbeth. The complex characters and their interactions in William Shakespeare’s iconic play reveal that corrupting force power can have on man.

Everyone wants to be powerful right? Everyone has different thoughts and ideas, but what is it that makes us so powerful? As sad as it is, what makes us powerful is our class, gender and race theses three little things determine what people think of you. So say your Mayella, she is a white, low class woman. Then there is Tom, he is an african american, low class man. Mayella accuses Tom of rape and abuse but tom is crippled and even Mayella said her father did those things, but since tom was African American and mayella was white, she won the case. It wasn’t fair and it wasn't justice but that’s just how they lived. In a society that judged by race, class and gender.

Often time power can be understood as control of material resources and wealth, control of politics and the institutions that make up society (Hutchison,2015). It is important to recognize and identify the core concepts of power or lack of power with individuals in society. The conflict theory allows examination within the text of those who hold power and lack power. The end result of power to hold dominance over another person, group, or society. As a result of the control and power is causes those who lack power to be devalued or alienated from a setting or even society (Hutchinson, 2015).

In The Lords of Discipline, Pat Conroy accurately shows how the misuse of power and idealistic beliefs of acceptance can be catastrophic and even deadly. “My entrance to this marsh-haunted city is always filled with troubled meditations on both my education and my solitude during a four- year residence at the Institute. The city of Charleston, in the green feathery modesty of its palms, in the certitude of its style, in the economy and stringency of its lines, and the serenity of its mansions South of Broad Street, is a feast for the human eyes. But to me, Charleston is a dark city, a melancholy city, whose severe covenants and secrets are a powerful and beguiling as its elegance, whose demons dance their alley dances and compose their malign hymns to the side of the moon I cannot see. I studied those demons closely once, and they helped Kill off the boy in me”, (Conroy, 1). The Lords of Discipline is a well written story about Will McLean idealistic journey from a naive boy to the eye opening harsh reality of evil that was occurring in Charleston, South

In Heart of Darkness, Kurtz is the very representation of the oppression which is impressed upon the natives of the Congo by white men seeking to spread imperialism.

In the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Marlow goes into the depths of an African jungle and encounters a level of evil and savagery not seen in day-to-day life. The real “heart of darkness” comes from hidden evil within humans, suppressed by rules and regulations in society. This potential evil, when able to be free from the standards in society, can reveal a completely different side to a person, as shown through the character of Kurtz. Kurtz holds a great amount of power in a secluded area, over a group of people who feel inferior to him, which turns into the ultimate abuse of power. While savagery tends to come out only during extreme circumstances, acts of evil are displayed in society daily, exempting no one from having evil thoughts or tendencies.

The myth of meritocracy has been proven true in multiply sources. Studies have hypothesized this before when relating to upward mobility. Upward mobility in the last forty years has been more and more unlikely for years and years now. Factors like race, socioeconomic status, household makeup, and economic conditions of this country play a big role. I will go more indepth about this study by showing more facts in the following paragraphs.

Downfalls from power occur when there is an imbalance between the two souls present in the body. Every human has two conflicting souls that serve as consciences to guide one’s actions: the animal soul and the godly soul. The former acts as a means of acquiring the necessities of life, acting in the best interest of oneself. The latter focuses on doing what is morally right, aiming to help others. Often, the animal soul is associated with evil. Though everyone has both souls, some may have one soul dominant over the other, leading them to have more attributes associated with that specific soul. For example, greed and corruption are prevalent among people with excessive power. When viewing the behavior of those in authoritative positions, one may notice that, “Their animal soul has become so dominant over time that it becomes the norm” (Anchor Text). Their need for success has become equivalent to an animal’s desire for food and life. People without power also have animal souls as

Alice Walker, an American novelist, once stated that “the most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” In current society, power is everywhere, and everyone has at least has some control, no matter how ineffective they might feel. In the novella “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, the concept of power is represented on a ranch in the 1930’s. On the ranch, there is a group of outsiders- people who do not fit in- that consists of Crooks, a black stable buck, Curley’s wife, who is married to the powerful Curley, Lennie, a worker with a mental disability, and Candy, and old swamper. These outsiders are isolated and feel powerless compared to the rest of society. However, within this group of outsiders, power structures still exist and everyone has power in one way or another. Steinbeck, through the story of Crooks and Curley’s wife, teaches that no matter how powerless someone seems, they may still wield power over others.

Through these various accounts, one witnesses how the reactions in different situations allude to an individual’s outcome and their authoritative position in relevance to others. Ultimately, power is a state of mind in this sense, for an individual’s importance in these situations is determined by the power with which they believe they behold. Not only this, but their success as individuals and how they survive their various encounters is also projected through their mentality associated with power, and it allows them to better manage their

Power is the unexplainable force that allows you to control other people or things, but rarely is it that people think about how they themselves are being persuaded by power. Of the power structures that exist in our world, we don’t typically think to rise up against them unless they’re markedly posing a threat to us; instead we submit and can understand where the ideas may have come from. I submit to power when it’s easier than resisting to accomplish a short-term security. If I don’t feel inconvenienced by the power that is being pushed on me, I find it easier to not fight back because it wouldn’t be worth the outcome.

In The Journey of Crazy Horse, written by Joseph Marshall III, power plays a significant role in determining the fates of both the Lakota Indians and the white men. In the Lakota way of life, power directly correlates to responsibility, leadership, and honor. Like Crazy Horse, any Lakota seeking power and recognition must demonstrate wisdom and determination. In contrast, the white men seemingly allot power in arbitrary manners, giving leadership positions to those who deserve it least. The Lakota’s cultural practices relating to leadership illustrate how highly they regard authority. All of their traditions, however, do not always necessarily benefit the tribe as a whole. The Lakota’s revival of the Shirt Wearers tradition prefigures the tribe’s eventual demise to the white man’s way of life by demonstrating the harmful effects of giving individuals undeserved power.

As a result of this, Kurtz’s biggest fear was being powerless to the natives, leading him to act in inhumane ways as he did not want to become the inferior. This fear can be seen at the end when Kurtz exclaims to “exterminate all brutes” since the natives were unable to change to what he wanted, instead he was the one who became inferior. (Conrad 2009). The idea of the natives not viewing him powerful enough to follow his orders enraged him so much he wanted them all dead even while he was dying. This anger is expressed through why Conrad complex language and syntax for example, “exterminate” rather just “kill” as it illustrates the hatred and frustration he has towards the natives since he has now been a victim of his biggest fear. Conrad explains how we naturally fear being powerless considering society has taught us that being powerless and vulnerable will not keep us alive. Additionally, no matter what, we must stay true to ourselves and values. This is exactly what Kurtz did, he wanted to maintain his unchecked power until he died, but rather this being his individual decision, and it was a decision instilled in him that relates back to Conrad’s proposition that our family creates a sense power within us while we are young. We are all given a rank of superiority through