Re: Handling Power & Politics LO2193

Ketan Lakhani (klakhani@aztec.co.za)
Sun, 23 Jul 95 12:35 EET

Replying to LO1969 --

>> Date: Fri, 30 Jun 95 11:51 EET
>> From: klakhani@aztec.co.za (Ketan Lakhani)
>>
>> It also sounds naive . .
>
> I wish I was naive! Life would so much easier, because I would
>probably not be so worried about so many things... well... sigh...
>
>> . . politics and power are a part of being human -
>> and even if we rely on intellectual capacity it will still be there - you
>> are presuming that power and politics are not "intelligent" or
>> "brainpower" conditions of the human experience. We'll just get better and
>> sharper at it.
>
> Something I cannot accept is that politics and power, or at least
>some expressions of it, are a part of being human! I don't accept
>political games and manipulations, and I am very much at peace with myself
>because of that. If accept manipuilations as "part of being human" then I
>would have to compromise way too many times. Even in my personal life, I
>have problems handling this and that might explain why I have divorced a
>couple times. I believe that being human does not include manipulating
>other people, or exploiting people for your own benefit. We must have
>some different from other living things on this planet.
>
> Being human too me means integrity, understanding, give and take
>(not in an exploitative way), humanness, etc..

Whoa! Just because you can't accept it, it doesn't mean its not there. And
power and its uses - and these are vital for simple survival -are NOT
incompatible with integrity, understanding et al.

May I suggest that your resistance is two-fold:
1. From associating politics and power with politicians who are not any of
the above - ie integrity etc.
2. From being a victim of manipulation.

The reality we all manipulate - from trying to get better service in a
restaurant to "growing" children to the values of integrity etc. We
constantly try to configure the world according to our world-view.

The trick is to do it with integrity etc.

Ketan

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