With Power Comes Corruption

Why is it that those in power seem to fall into scandals? In this paper, you will discover what the Achilles' Heel of those in authority.

With Power Comes Corruption

            General-labor jobs only require that the job gets done. If the job gets done, the person will receive a paycheck. This straight-forward concept metamorphoses as the person transitions from a general-labor job to a job that requires personal relation skills. In some circumstances, the new transition may only require exceptional social skills. Unfortunately, the field of politics, education, and the like reveal that to succeed in the upper echelon of the work force, one will need to make compromises of his or her belief and/ or change his or her value system.

            Socrates, born in 470 B.C., attempted to change society by questioning people and enlightening them to the world of wisdom (A&E Television Networks, 2017). Socrates, who is known for introducing the Socratic method, has been influential in the educational realm, but he has not always been warmly accepted. In the Apology of Socrates (n.d.), Socrates gives a testament about his life: what he was trying to do, exposing the lies and prejudices of Meletus as well as the people at large, and proclaiming his innocence. Greece had a democracy at the time, but this did not stop Socrates from being executed due to the increasing corruption of society. Socrates spoke words of eloquence; Meletus spoke words of lies (The Apology of Socrates, n.d.). Prior to Socrates encounter with Meletus, Socrates was a senator; however, he quickly discovered that he would thrive better in private rather than public (The Apology of Socrates, n.d.). By reading The Apology of Socrates, one discovers a most dreadful truth: if you are not catering to the wants or desires of people, you will most likely be the victim of societal corruption. Socrates had learned this truth the hard way; when he had refused to compromise his beliefs or change his values, he was eventually forced to drink hemlock and had perished.

            Socrates encounter with societal corruption can be correlated with the corruption of modern day politics or within the media industry. Today, the modern observer can look at Harvey Weinstein’s abuse of women, Hillary Clinton’s erasing of thousands of emails, the FBI’s unwarranted detection of Paige, the Russian Olympic team’s abuse of drugs, and the like. All these corruptions or scandals tells us that people are not more pure, more righteous, or more innocent as they come into positions of power; they rather are more prone to become corrupt. Keltner, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, explains, “A feeling of power can transform people’s behavior, making them more impulsive and less empathetic to others’ needs. It ‘turns up the volume on your preexisting tendencies’” (Schmidt, 2017). History has shown that as people come into power, their skills “deteriorate” and a loss of empathy tends to destroy the lives and works of others (Schmidt, 2017).

            The only way to survive in the work force or in society is to either compromise your beliefs or change your value system in accordance to those in authority. Not everyone has succumbed to corruption, but it is increasingly difficult to find men or women of integrity, who are unwilling to change their beliefs or values. You may not compromise your beliefs or change your values and that is great; however, you must be aware then that you risk becoming very unpopular.

 

 

Works Cited

A&E Television Networks. (2017, April 27). Socrates Biography. In Socrates Biography. Retrieved March 4, 2018, from https://www.biography.com/people/socrates-9488126

Eliot, C. (n.d.). Harvard Classics. N.p.: P. F. Collier & Son Corooration. Retrieved March 4, 2018, from https://www.myharvardclassics.com/categories/20120212

Schmidt, S. (2017, October 17). Why do so many powerful men behave like Harvey Weinstein? This psychologist has some theories. In Why do so many powerful men behave like Harvey Weinstein? This psychologist has some theories.. Retrieved March 4, 2018, from Eliot, C. (n.d.). Harvard Classics. N.p.: P. F. Collier & Son Corooration. Retrieved March 4, 2018, from https://www.myharvardclassics.com/categories/20120212

Reviews

[barleygirl]

This is a rare & refreshing read at the cafe. I like how you approached this as if writing a paper that would be proof-read by experts. I'm no expert & I'm not capable of proof-reading this, but I do not feel that quotes alone a point doth make. You bring good quotes to bear & everything sounds convincing, but there's something missing, as far as synthesizing these quotes in order to make the bold conclusion at the start of your final paragraph. This feels like you collecting & presenting proof, but I don't see you providing some unique & convincing perspective that comes from your own experience of living life. I think that might make this feel more authentic & convincing. But I'm just guessing. I don't do this kind of writing. As for the FBI/Strzok/Page scandal -- I do not find any scandal of a person spelled "PAIGE" . . . this could be referred to in a more recognizable way. Also, when you use Hillary's emails as one of your pieces of evidence, it doesn't add much to your sense of being an unbiased authority presenting the facts. I think the Hillary email cauldron is too muddy to use as a proof in making such a point as you're making, without you sounding partisan. Use examples that are unimpeachable (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie