No Power without Pain

There is no such thing as power without pain. Some may say power can be gained without pain but that’s a painful concept in itself – how can power, using and coercing others, and filling hearts with notions of happiness not hurt? Indeed, power is the ability to make people believe they are doing something they like when they don’t, so sooner or later there will be a feeling of pain. Even the guilt of knowing that you are using someone is a pain, so power is also about how you handle that pain. The first casualty of power will be you.

Name drop some of the most powerful figures in history and they will be synonymous with some of the worst vices of humanity: greed, jealousy, caprice, a hint of sadism. Were they that concerned with their less than desirable traits? If Alexander the Great wept because there were no more worlds to conquer, was he remorseful of those he squashed on the way? Do these things matter when all you want is just enough power to fortify your position and be happy? If you feel no pain with power, don’t worry, it’ll settle in afterward and then you’ll feel nothing at all. Get ready.