Random Thoughts: Some thoughts on "Power" and "Choice"

This is what has been going on in my mind for some time since yesterday. The title could as well have been "The power of Choice", as we will come to see.
The first thing that comes to our mind when we say "Power" is the control we can exercise on "Someone or Something." The greater the ability of the person to control "someone/something" , the more powerful society considers him to be. But as ever I feel we have been conditioned to lose out on the subjective aspect of this "Power." In our eagerness to control things around, we tend to forget that the greatest "choice" we have is that of the "Ability to control ourselves."

Society has pre defined responses to almost every stimulus, and a person who does not respond "accordingly" is considered out of the flock. When some one abuses you, you are "expected to return the abuse". When someone complements, you are "expected to return the complement." When something does not go as per plan, you are "expected to feel bad" and on goes the list.....
And this is considered to be "NATURAL" and you are expected to follow this if you want to be "accepted by society" :-) How funny!!!! And we claim we have FREEDOM.

I still remember a quote by Rousseau, from my high school history lesson. He said "Man is born free, but is everywhere in chains." How true!!! But if you look at things at a more minute level the quote could as well have been "Man is born free but everywhere PREFERS to be in chains." :-) IS it not???

The greatest power we have been vested with is the power to "CHOOSE." At every point in life, we have the option of choosing the way we react. And it is these very choices that decide how "independent" we are. Anthony de Mello, a Jesuit priest and whose books and lectures have been highly inspirational, hits it on the head when he says " Do not say 'He or She irritated me'. Rather say 'I chose to irritate myself on the occasion of something.' "

How very true!! This very thought, if it can be internalized, opens up the gates of freedom :-)
Something to ponder on further...


Cheers,
Anikethan