So often in my childhood I heard the importance of strength and the inherent weakness of humanity. We are taught that the only way to make a difference in this world is to obsess over our goals and achieve them regardless of the cost. Ultimately, I came to believe that whatever damage was caused through the process of achievement, the reward I receive at the finish line will wipe the slate clean. I’ve always struggled with the relationship between love and power because love didn’t produce tangible rewards, yet power felt so inhuman. Adam Kahane acknowledges the root of this dilemma by explaining his working definitions of love and power to be “ontological: they deal with what and why power and love are, rather than what they enable or produce (Kahane, 2).” Simply making this distinction can lead to a more functional set of priorities which values the reality and purpose of love and power, which then draws value to the reality and purpose of all things.
And the simple reality that Kahane brings vital attention to is that “none of us live in terra nullius (Kahane, 4).” Meaning that reality existed before me, you or any of our parents were brought into existence, and we cannot assume that our paths of self-realization are ideal for everyone. For instance, when addressing the Canadian aborigines, there existed a “widely held mental model that aboriginal people needed to ‘be developed’” but “the aboriginal leaders didn’t want to be controlled or fixed or developed by anyone (Kahane, 23).” Governmental leaders, however, tend to assume that the most efficient nations are based on their “power-over” their citizens. This mindset denies diversity and leaves no room for love, causing the masses to feel purposeless, fear questioning of the status quo, and lack personal and environmental awareness.
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