Power

1984. If there is one book that could describe Orwell, it would most likely be this. A functional dystopia, and totalitarian power characterize this universe and makes one wonder if it would ever be sustainably possible, or what it would take to bring it about. This post would be a discussion on power and control.

"Freedom is Slavery" "War is Peace" "Ignorance is Strength". These are the three edicts which Orwell's paradise swears by. In the history of the world, power always displays a dual nature, of being a tangible and dense cloud and of an illusion that could be pierced by a sharp knife.

Power in the world has been won, by oppression, benevolence, a common love, a common hatred, and the list could go on. This is a prevalent expression, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely in such manner that great men are almost always bad men."  True, but not always. Power is more like a chastising fire. Not everyone can handle it without being burnt. And without a will to power or a will to control, a will to fight, a man or a nation is doomed to be tossed about and has written its  own epitaph.

The problem of power is not in power itself, but in if it can sustain itself. Consider the power of a dictator, who maintains it by right of might. The oppressor has forced power to himself, and holds it with an iron fist. And one may speak of power as a conscious being, it doesn't like to be held against its will. Control or power gained in such a way is like balancing oneself on the edge of a sharp sword staring into a pit of fire. 

To be in such total power, one must have might over others, by way of military, wealth or resources. Essentially this would require everyone or everything under the dictator to be pauperized, in some particular way, to maintain control as long as possible. This is one of the most limiting natures of power. It prevents growth by its very nature. This power id of the very nature of illusion itself, though it may present itself as rock-solid. 

A man cannot possess power himself to control and oppress militarily. This form is by surrogate. This power is delegated to a military or to objects that transmit power. But should anyone in the military be possessed of a will to power, and if he successfully rallies these surrogates of power around him, the dictator would be disposed of his power. A man who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. 

Or knowledge. It's very existence requires growth. And it's very existence endangers the dictator. For power gained by knowledge or starving people of it is precariously balanced. For knowledge and ideas are near impossible to contain. Their very existence makes certain their diffusion, as finally, most humans are simply conduits for these. Military or wealth may preserve power longer, but they can be snatched. Knowledge on the other hand is of a different nature. It cannot be snatched, so it is secure. But it flows of its own accord and allows itself to be moulded, and if a vessel fit for it emerges, it shall flow of its own accord, or like a spring, it will make it overflow, filling lesser conduits.

Orwell does mention in his book that the power to topple the "big brother" lies with the proles, or the common people, but they are not aware of it or rallied to dissent against the dystopia they have come to embrace.

A dystopia of the mind is just as powerful, if not more, as the dystopia of the world and the body. Whereas a physical tyranny or control can be overthrown in a concerted effort, the mental tyranny, of ideas and belief, is harder. To acknowledge the illusion is in itself a victory, and a personal victory doesn't guarantee a dispelling of the illusion on a greater scale. 

And the world does survive under such illusions, self-inflicted as well as from outside. But that is another topic by itself. In the modern world, where most people are wary of physical tyrannies or have been taught to recognize it, not everyone can recognize thought or actions as themselves subservient to chains which bind the mind. And it becomes very hard to even judge what these chains are, until one finds himself being pulled apart by the very fetters that bind him. It is like a blind man groping about in the wilderness, you cannot judge where you are or how to get to where you want on your own.

There are some who find their way out by means of experience that illumines the way for them. For most others, they need the light of someone else to guide them, but it again begs the question, how do you know that the light is not a mere illusion?

And for any such mental control or power to be established, the answer is obvious. The reason anything overpowers the mind is not because it comes out as intelligent or as right to the mind but because it goes through the heart. How many times has it not been, that words that come from a person closer to the heart etch deeper than the same or better words from another person we are antagonized by. 

But it's not only the person, the emotions may be embodied themselves and any idea that seeks to successfully hold sway over a person must go through those emotions the person identifies with, it may be lust, love, power, hatred or the like. These hold the human psyche in a very powerful vice grip, a better simile would be a self-watering plant. And history is privy to many examples like this, the most obvious would be religion and something on the more modern front would be science.

But a person who seeks to establish power this way has also bound himself by the same fetters that he has chosen to establish on others. He has not brought people to himself but rallied them around an idea, now a living idea which is momentarily embodied as him. And should someone else embody this or a better idea which resonates better with the emotions he has created or should he ever will to change, that power which he thought was his will desert him for a new conduit. 

Power is a woman, a fickle creature who is not to be trifled with. She will not allow herself to be contained, and one who seeks to ensnare her and limit her expression has begun writing his own eulogy. 

In my opinion though, power can be sustained, only if it is allowed to grow. If everyone it touches is allowed to be a conduit for its expression, in their own capacity and expression. And this allows for faster growth and prosperity, all rallied around a greater flame as the one that kindles the lesser flames. And allowed for the space to grow, where anyone who becomes worthy may become the new source of expression in that particular sphere of influence or may pool together their resources, the capacity for evolution is greater. And this appeals to another side of human emotions too, freedom, and another funny emotion, gratitude. 

As good as this may be, it involves a lot of work, essentially understanding one's own mind and a great deal of trust. At present, it is a near impossible dream in a complete scheme of things but it could be an experiment in smaller circles, where there is greater understanding and trust. When first the idea of oneness is first perfected in a nation and then on a greater global scale, the scope for such an experiment will be greater. Till then, many empires and ideas will be built and destroyed.