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Introduction

In our world today, power with the definition it holds is painted as something evil and menacing. Any discussions of power, what it is, who has it, how to use it, why it exists are immediately frowned upon and deflected with shame and vilification towards those who wish to discover and understand power. We find it scary. We find it immoral. We find it somehow destructive. We feel uncomfortable and disgusted talking about power and we try to avoid it at all cost, yet deep within, we know we can never escape it for the laws of power exists in every corner of life. To deny them is to lie to oneself and to neglect them is to remains vulnerable to the chaos of the world and to be powerless against the human nature. Nobody wants less power, everybody wants more. This is the truth.

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What is Power?

Power is inseparable from every aspect of human life, from politics to organizations to social and to the individuals themselves. It is never static. You can choose to deny or not participate in the structure of power but knows that if you are not acting then you are being acted on. When we think about power, we often think of it in terms of the ability to influences others and make them do what is desirable to us. This is certainly one aspect of power and almost all human being innately understand its dynamics and how to practice them as early as a child, for power extends further than just physical force, but also psychological, wealth, fame, networks or ideas.

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Power in Modern Society

With the rise of democracy and egalitarianism, the majority believes that power is supposed to reside with the people, and equally distributed amongst all. Anything else than this is not politically correct. Any further inquiry is not welcome. The modern society, with its social conditioning, has cast a shadow upon the concept of power over the mass, clouding them from educating on what is one of the most fundamental concepts among all societies and all people. This results in the denial of power, which unfortunately has become both the cause and the consequences of the many conflicts and sufferings we see today.

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The 49th Law of Power

Far too many people are illiterate in the understanding of power. Far too many people fall naive to the political narrative in today's world and far too many people hold these idealistic thoughts implanted by the powerful. Power can never NOT exist. Even those who vilify and shame power, swaying you away from ever grasping and realizing it, are those who practising power over you. This is the law 49th of power: "You never talk about power", "You never educate others about power" "You never let others know about your power", a law that is so powerful that can keep societies in order and individuals in place without much realization, and without much realization, there will not be much resistance nor resentment towards the powerful who wield their influences over the ignorant majority.

This is why the tread of politics stains all over our life. It flows like water, drifting across each step we take and confine our direction of life in accordance with the existing laws, policy, states, government and social norms. There can be a balance, no balance or an unstable balance of power, but there will always exist power and those who have it will use it in some shape or form, and for better or for worst. As wicked as it may sounds, power is neither inherently bad nor good. It just is, like a tool that can helps you build or protect, misuse of it can also destroy or kill.

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The Importance of Understanding Power

As a human being, you must educate yourself and learn the game of power. To understand power is not just to harness the existing laws of power to get what you want, but to become immune against the consequences of powers that others may wield on you. It is both a sword and a shield, weapons, that when used correctly, can help combat the constant struggles of the external and the internals of life. Nobody wants to be powerless, for it means to live a miserable and helpless life. Everybody wants more power, for it means more influence and more important, more control of one's life.

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True Power

This is true power, the most important aspect of power that has been conveniently left out of all discussion, that is the degree to which a person has control over their own circumstances and the degree to which they can direct their own life. It is the power, whether in the form of money, physical health or emotional control, that gives us room to be confident, to be assertive, to be fearless, to then take risks, and make better decisions that lead towards the path of life that each of us wants to live. It is the power of the steering wheel of our ship. It is the power that makes us the master of our own life.

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Conclusion

Understanding power is one of the most important skills to acquire as it is the ability to judge situations rather than just good or evil. We all see our world today at the height of fairness, yet the same ugly emotions, greed, envy, lust, hatred still stir within us, as they have always been. Human being has not changed, and so the game is still the same. Understand that without power, you can not affecting anything, or change anything, even within yourself. So instead of strangling against the inevitable, instead of arguing, complaining, whining, being upset it is far better to excel at power to then protect yourself and hopefully, better your life and those around you.