The Games of Power [Part 1]

How do you explain when others achieve things that seem to defy all the assumptions? As it turns out there is a pattern to all the great leaders and big organizations of the world. They all think, act and communicate the exact same way. And it’s the complete opposite to everyone else. It’s the Golden Circle of Power.

What if the way we understand the world is wrong? What if it is not politicians and world events that have fundamentally transformed our everyday lives but The Games of Power? Power deals made in secret: On a golf course, high up in boardrooms, or over a drink in a bar.

These deals changed everything. They changed the power balance between business and government; and re-wrote the facts on what even constitutes truth. These power deals often had far-reaching consequences the protagonists did not foresee: Harnessing the science of food to fatten the planet and then using the business opportunity created to thin the human race down; transforming medicine from the treatment of illness to the medication of modern life itself. Selling freedom through technology but automating human behavior at the very moment automation transforms life on earth.

All life is a game of power. The object of the game is simple enough: to know what you want and get it. The moves of the game, by contrast are infinite and complex, although they usually involve the manipulation of people and situations to your advantage.

The master players seek power itself, knowing that power can be used to obtain money, sex, security or fame. None of these alone constitutes power; but power can produce them all. It Reminds me of a scene in the TV show series – ‘Game of Thrones,’ When ‘Little-Finger’ confronted the Queen, ‘Cersei Lannister’ about of the secret she kept of her incest between her and her brother, ‘Jamie Lannister.’ Little-Finger leveraging on this information to gain a favor, alluding to the fact that “Knowledge is Power.” Which of course, almost got him killed when ‘Cersei Lannister’ commanded her guards to do so. Reminding ‘Little Finger’ back – that, “Power is Power.”

To play the Games of Power, it is necessary to discover for yourself what Power is. The student of ‘Power’ ought to begin by learning to recognize its manifestations in every aspect of life. The trick is to develop a style of Power based on one’s character and desires. With that foundation, it is possible to hone the moves of one’s own game to a fine, cutting edge. Those who were bullies at school often develop a very sophisticated repertoire of bullying techniques in adult life, though they may find themselves at a disadvantage if they meet a more powerful bully.

Wang Jianlin, chairman of the Dalian Wanda construction empire, China’s richest man [last I checked]. Wang worth about $32 billion reminded a renowned journalist – Jacques Peretti, that Business, not government, now calls the shots. And business no longer has to even influence government, business is government. The job of the government now is not to serve the people, no matter what politicians say, but to manage the economy as best as it can on behalf of business. This is not a judgement but a fact. 

The power relationship has been inverted. Seeing politicians meeting successful business people like Wang is like watching a simpering teenager meet a rock star. The politicians do not know what to do with themselves. It is embarrassing.

Whatever name we give it, we shall always find in human beings this great line of activity – this struggle to rise from an inferior to a superior position, from defeat to victory, from below to above. True enough: rising “from below to above” is so universal an ambition that it is almost pointless to discuss the morality, or even the common sense of such a desire. Thus, it is easy enough to understand why we need power – without it, we are merely cogs in a meaningless machine.

What are the Manifestations of Power? How can one train themselves to recognize and distinguish between its various manifestations?  ……. Talkative friends or time wasters give us the chance to control speech; they teach us the art of courteous but firm refusal to engage in unnecessary conversation. To be able to say ‘no’ is a difficult but useful discipline. Could Discipline be a manifestation to Power or a precursor of Power itself?

 [Look out for Part 2]