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I would differentiate between power and freedom, as the author does. Power would be the capacity to affect other people's actions, often arising from having a
by david-gpu 7y ago
I would differentiate between power and freedom, as the author does.
Power would be the capacity to affect other people's actions, often arising from having a position of authority over them, but can also occur in the form of influence over them (soft power).
Freedom would refer to having the means to choose our own actions with fewer or weaker external constraints.
The author has achieved some degree of financial freedom, but not much power from what I can see, beyond the limited power that his modest net worth can buy.
- cm2012 7y agoI'd argue those are the same things, just different amounts of it.
- protonfish 7y agoMaybe to avoid the ambiguity we could use the terms "political power" and "personal power."
- apatters 7y agoThe article uses the terms power and freedom, and explicitly defines them. > I would define power as the ability to make other people do what you want; freedom is the ability to do what you want.
- protonfish 7y agoI don't think it's cool to take a common and ambiguous term like "power" and claim that it will now only refer to a single, narrow meaning. It's not constructive. Better to qualify the term in a way that everyone in the discussion knows what you are talking about.
- ummonk 7y agoSince we're discussing a linked article, it is perfectly reasonable for people to use the terms that have been defined early in the linked article.
- chibg10 7y agoThe original author clearly has a point to make and providing an explicit definition of the relevant terms helps communicate them. If you want to discuss something else about "power", the comment section of this article is probably the wrong place to do so.
- sooheon 7y agoAnd strength is the currency which you can cash out as power or freedom. What you choose is up to you, but you need to be strong to get what you want.
- Retric 7y agoFreedom requires power over others. You can't avoid work unless others are providing you food. You can't get shelter unless you can keep others from taking it from you. The real confusion is living in a society where most power is hidden and records are given meaning.
- hinkley 7y agoFreedom requires power over yourself, and a lot of people cede that power. Including Mr $100M up there.
- apineda 7y agoMind expanding on this? I'm curious as to what you are alluding to.
- hinkley 7y agoThis guy has a company doing $100M and I bet you his kids wish he was at home more. He talks a good talk about cashing out but he has already done enough. What is he waiting for? Theory: he doesn't know how to stop. Being a captain of industry is tied into his identity and he can't give it up. It has power over him. One definition of addiction is when you engage in a behavior despite its deleterious effects on other aspects of your life. A lot of things we do to "feel control" are closer to that end of the spectrum than they are to healthy behavior. People live beyond their means and their boss can make them violate their ethics simply by threatening to fire them. In many, many cases this is a bluff, and someone who's financially stable can tell their boss no, or take a risk on a new job.