Poll: What is power?

Recommended Videos

Yureina

Who are you?
May 6, 2010
7,098
0
0
"Absolute power is the power to destroy." - Frank Herbert, Dune

That sums up my feelings on this issue quite well. I suppose that would be strength.
 

Ljs1121

New member
Mar 17, 2011
1,113
0
0
Influence. Over people, places, things, etc.

I couldn't narrow it down any further. When I think of power, the first word that comes to mind is influence.
 

Tahaneira

Social Justice Rogue
Feb 1, 2011
377
0
0
The ability to significantly affect the lives of others.

So, all of the above.
 

Winthrop

New member
Apr 7, 2010
325
0
0
Power is control. It doesn't matter if it is control over yourself (discipline falls here), control over others (strength falls here), or control over the environment (knowledge falls here). In my mind, a truly powerful person would be disciplined, strong, and smart to cover all three.
 

DeltaEdge

New member
May 21, 2010
639
0
0
Power is the amount of control that you have over your environment. I say this because it encapsulates everything around you. You, other people, animals, objects, and nature, not just a single sub-category.
 

Alssadar

Senior Member
Sep 19, 2010
812
0
21
Knowledge is power, guard it well!

With the proper knowledge, you can control people to bend to your will, as you can make all opponents fail, leaving you as the only remaining ruler. If someone challenges, you can smack them down with a verbal beating, causing distrust amongst their followers as their leader was outsmarted.
 
Feb 22, 2009
715
0
0
Those are all just methods for gaining power, power is just the ability to influence the world around you more than other people can.
 

GrindBass

New member
Jun 7, 2009
74
0
0
Unlimited :p

In terms of the specific universe you're talking about power seems to be the ability to do reasonably well for yourself without becoming so successful that you become a target for being killed off by the plot
 

StraightToHeck

Booby booby bum bum.
Oct 13, 2010
264
0
0
lee1287 said:
Power is i can shoot you right here, infront of everyone and no one would blink an eye. That's power you can't buy.
NOOOO! YOU FOOL! You would just create a power far greater than your own:

BATMAN

Back on topic, I happen to know that the correct answer is knowledge, because KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!! *jingle*
 
Aug 25, 2009
4,611
0
0
Money.

If you have enough money, you can make anything you want happen in our society. Multi-billion dollar corporations regularly flaunt the law and receive a slap-on-the-wrist at best. Incredibly rich people get away with all sorts of horrible crimes simply because they know how to spend their money wisely enough that it isn't outright bribery, but it still gets them the result they want.

For some low level examples: Walk into a shop where something has been reserved for someone else. Offer the shop owner an insane amount past the asking price (ten times maybe) and you'll get what was set aside for someone else.

Or look for a house/flat. If you know someone else is making an offer, make a bigger one and see how quickly that other person vanishes from the equation.

For high level examples: What exactly has Rupert Murdoch lost from the phone hacking scandal? No one in the world would be able to touch him in court because he has the money to hire the best lawyers in the world, he can bribe his staff insane amounts not to talk and not even feel the hit in his personal back account, and he can make donations to politicians which mean they know they have to come out in support of him or they lose half their funding.

If you are rich enough (key word being enough, it's not just money, it's lots of money) you can get out of anything.
 

II2

New member
Mar 13, 2010
1,492
0
0
The power is power option kings throws the poll, even with the statement you provided, OP.

I think in broad terms the greatest power comes from the right combination of money, knowledge and social intelligence / agency. To pay the wages of those whose work you direct to create your vision, tempered with the strategy to claim the credit and profit to propagate your will further. Growth and influence.

I think social intelligence, or charisma may be the most essential component. To pursuade or intimidate the strong the the smart to working towards your interests and giving you the greatest mobility and flexibility. Being a people person with an iron fist... you can manipulate people to make money, protect it and devise plans on your behalf.

I think shaving it down to the bare minimum, you can safely say that:

The Strong control the Weak
The Clever control the Strong

/end
 

Adeptus Aspartem

New member
Jul 25, 2011
843
0
0
Power = Beard

With epic beard comes epic power. Easy concept. Just look at Techno Viking, Zeus and Chuck Norris. It's really that simple.

Also in the case of Tom Seleck Mustache can also equal Power
 

BeeGeenie

New member
May 30, 2012
726
0
0
As Elwood Dowd said in "Harvey,": "In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. For years I was smart, I recommend pleasant"

So the answer is either "knowledge" or "people" because you can't do anything if you
a) don't know how, or
b) can't convince others to support you.

I voted for people, because if you know smart people you don't need to do it all on your own.
 

Antari

Music Slave
Nov 4, 2009
2,246
0
0
Without knowledge and the ability to use it, everything else is useless as they are supporting tools to knowledge. You will always need to know what to affect and how to affect it, if you want any hope of controlling it.
 

Souplex

Souplex Killsplosion Awesomegasm
Jul 29, 2008
10,312
0
0
The ability to influence your surroundings. You can buy people off, use what you know, persuade people, use brute strength, but it's all just a means to influence.
 

Starik20X6

New member
Oct 28, 2009
1,685
0
0
I'd argue that power is ultimately written in destiny. Wait, wait, hear me out. Your individual free will is interlinked with everyone else's free will, thus you are as in control of your actions as much as they are dictated by those and the world around you. Butterfly effect and all that. Power could be said to be being in control of your destiny.