Power is the ability to direct or influence the behavior of others.

Over the course of my life I’ve observed and absorbed instances of others, big or small, wielding power over me. By small I mean ordinary every day people and by big I mean influential, rich or important people.

Possibly the most interesting and telling observations involve ordinary everyday people who, when they realized they had momentary power over me, morphed into an alien person that I did not recognize, as they wielded their transient power to extract revenge, settle scores or inflict punishment.

I suppose that’s one of the reasons my father taught me to be nice to people on the way up as you might meet them again on the way down.

The big people, as defined above, maybe because they’re acustomed to wielding power, are not so obviously vindictive or punishing.

It seems to me, in either case and under all circumstances, POWER need not and should not be abused!