Power makes no sense to me

[Preechr]

Emmy, I have no answer to your question, but I would like to add some evidence to the investigation in hopes that someone smarter... someone like Seth... might figure it out for us.

Some folks around here like to think that they have it all figured out already, and the rest of us are just wrong and thus stupid. I think it might be a misunderstanding between the concepts of thinking of everybody and thinking for everybody.

Unfortunately, those that think they are capable of thinking for everybody don't have a lot of patience with those that like to think for themselves, so instead of sitting around and waiting to be proven right, if that might be the case, they tend to insist that they are and demean those that might be.

Some of us, put in this position, opt for greener pastures.

[kahljorn]

I think it's possible that different people pursue power for different reasons. But here's some quick thoughts!:

Perhaps when we look at some of these people with a lot of power already, and think, why do they need a few extra billion, what we are not considering is that they might not necessarily care about being more powerful than you and me. Instead, they may be competing with other rich and powerful people, who may have the same amount of money as them -- or more.

Similarly, they may continue to attempt to gain power because they are afraid that someone may usurp their position and/or take their power away. Much like with PHYSICAL POWER, if you want to keep your muscles you have to stay in good shape and always be working out and striving to keep on top. Otherwise, you will gradually lose your power, while the world around you gains power.

Plus they could just like it, just like you like to have some type of intellectual power. Perhaps you don't really need to know more, yet you keep struggling for it. Everybody wants some sort of power over others...

I like Neitzsche's thoughts on power, though.

Oh and preechr is quoting the great american philosopher HUGH AKSTON who became a hamburger salesman! A HAMBURGER SALESMAN! with that, "If the conclusion doesn't follow, check your premises" thing.

as witnessed in the works of Ayn Rand.



Also i think that Bush will go down as the greatest president ever for encouraging all of us to buy gas efficient cars and get out of our suburbans/fix all kinds of other problems because he made them so obvious. Thank you, MR PRESIDENT.