Angie Huang Week 9 Personal Power
Often, when people refer to the word “power,” they are referencing an oppressive and tyrannical version of it. Although power can be interpreted in many different ways, there is one positive form of power, a person’s inner power. This specific type of power—personal power— is the power within an individual that drives them into making their own decisions and setting up their own thoughts.
Personal power is built up over time, and changes according to the development of a person’s character. The individual’s confidence, strength, and competence reflects on their ability to love and take care of themselves. As a person grows and matures, it is their personal power that guides them to establish their values and leads them in striving for success.
Unlike other forms of power, personal power is not used to influence others, but rather to help individuals attain self-realization. Once a person finds enough power in themselves to accept their current being, they will be able to become leaders in their own lives.
Personal power is one of the more difficult powers to attain, as it is not given by others, but rather by their own self. In many cases, a person’s largest obstacle and challenge is themselves. As long as they can overcome their inner conflicts, people will be able to accomplish their goals. How much power an individual decides to allow themselves largely determines their attitude towards others and the things they do. Each person has a power of their own, though they may not realize it.
In a way, personal power overshadows many of the other different types of power. An individual’s fighting spirit, and belief in their own self, is capable of driving them to achieve things beyond what suppressive power can help them accomplish. Personal power, therefore, is more than just a person’s inner thoughts, but rather their motivation and confidence, and is an important part of their identity.
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Hi Angie, you've brought up some really interesting points in your blog, which I haven't considered before! I love what you said about personal power; I too think that it's built up over time, and I also think that maturity plays a large role in how that personal power is handled. It is completely up to you (or anyone) to make sure they are using the power they have in a responsible, appropriate manner. I feel as though it's my own responsibility to make sure I am keeping myself in check; this is how I exercise my personal power. Personal power can also come in forms of self care, as taking proper care of yourself often results in better productivity.
ReplyDeleteHi Angie, I totally agree. Personal power is just as powerful if not more than overt power over others. To me, personal power means confidence. That is something I have struggled with until a few years ago. No one else can give you confidence, that is something you have to attain for yourself. Once you do, however, you realize how much power you have in your own skills and worth. Understanding your own power is often the only power you will ever need.
ReplyDeleteHi Angie,
ReplyDeleteI talked about something similar in my blog as well. I definitely agree with confidence being the face of personal power. I believe person v self-conflicts are the hardest ones to solve. It takes more strength to overcome than any of the other roadblocks that people can encounter. However, it can also be the most influential. Confident people are much more likely to live happy and healthy lives. They do not have to worry about other's actions. They can focus on themselves and how to better their own lives.
I really like that you focused on power’s more positive aspects. Your post really emphasizes that a single word can be interpreted in so many different ways. The word “power” by itself implies some form of manipulation, while “personal power” is associated with uncorrupted confidence and achievement. I have noticed a lot of parallels between your post and Amani’s, and I find it really interesting that two people interpreted our topic in the same way, though each passage has its own unique style.
ReplyDeleteHi Angie, I really like how you focused on positive power while also mentioning how there are many forms of power that are negative. I also agree with the idea you brought up that personal power is to help individuals and not influence others. In my blog this week, I wrote about language which is a power that is used to influence others in both good and bad ways. It is true that personal power is really hard to achieve and when people do achieve it, they can live life to its fullest.
ReplyDeleteHi Angie, I think that your take on personal power is excellent. It takes a different type of energy to grant yourself your "personal power," and even when you obtain it, sometimes it can feel like you have no power. However, I also think that others affect your power. Sometimes people say hateful, nasty things can affect your power and carry you. Overall it was a pleasure to read your blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Angie, I liked that you brought up the far too often neglected version of power—personal power. Like you mentioned in your post, personal power comes largely from within, which is what makes it so difficult to obtain. I think that another thing which makes personal power so tricky is the fact that it varies so much from person to person. A task that may be easy for one individual may require tremendous personal power from another.
ReplyDeleteHey Angie, I do agree that when I think of power I do thing of power in the definition of control and tyranny instead of the power we ourselves have and we alone can hold and make stronger or weaker this idea of personal power is a type of power that I feel most do not recognize immediately instead they do look at tyranny and control or dictatorship like you said.
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