Power and Secrecy


the Basica




  Craving for power opens the way for corruption, providing it with its incentives, tools, methods, opportunities, and support. Secrecy aids the development, perpetuation, and spreading of that corruption by hiding it from scrutiny, thereby shielding it from opposition. Many who are drowning do not even know they are in the water until they are pulled out, and many of those want nothing more than to immediately dive back in, as deeply as possible.

  Beware not only of the temptations and risks of power and secrecy but of the perception they can potentially give others. Whenever possible and reasonable, avoid involvement with anything that gives even the impression of either outright domination or covert manipulation. Where it is not possible and reasonable to completely avoid, as when a police officer must make an arrest or go under cover (but not engage in entrapment), be as honest and above board as you are able about what you are involved with and why.

  Beware also that you do not become preoccupied with fear of conspiracy. While not all is imagined, the fostering of paranoia serves as a heavy distraction from reality. How can you deal with genuine issues if you are led away from them by a tantalizing tangle of elaborately spun illusion?

  Know well the difference between maintaining privacy and confidentiality, on the one hand, and protecting the perpetuation of abuse and injustice, on the other. If you are uncertain or overburdened, seek appropriate help. Understand yourself and the situation, and tell yourself the truth about your motives.

  Be honorable in your pride and humble in your dignity. Realize what really matters, and recognize what you can do from where you are. Do not chase glory for glory's sake, but do not prostrate or subjugate yourself for no good cause. If you mean well, do your utmost to ensure what you accomplish will match your intentions. As you go, be sure you think your own thoughts with your own mind, feel your emotions with your own heart, are in full possession of your own will, and are the director of your own body. Respect this freedom and independence in others, treating them accordingly and expecting the same from them. This is also power, but it is joined in equally. It is clean, and defending it is noble and right.



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