Power Vs. Force

by David R. Hawkins

I was reading Chapter 10: Power in Politics, and here is what I think are some valuable lessons

- The pen is mightier than the sword
- Power originates from the mind, whereas force is rooted in the material world
- Standing for a principle, for inalienable right: the intrinsic dignity of man and his right to freedom, sovereignty, and self-determination.
- Such rights come to man by virtue of the divinity of his creation
- Violence is force
- Power is when you uphold universal principles which will unite the will of the people
- Power is selflessness versus the force of self-interest
- Power accomplishes with ease what force, even with extreme effort, cannot
- Those who have and or seek totalitarian dictatorship in the name of "resistance" are bound to fail one way or another (sisterly neighbors come to mind, and of course some monarchies & theocracies as well)
- A distinctive characteristic of force in politics is that it cannot tolerate dissent
- When the two meet, power always eventually succeeds; in the long run, if it's deeply founded in the will of the people, power is immune to force
- Force is seductive because it emanates a certain glamour, whether that glamour is manifested in the guise of false patriotism, prestige, or dominance
- Conversely, true power is often quite unglamorous
- The weak are attracted to, and will even die for, the glamour of force. How else could something so outrageous as war even occur?
- Force often seizes the upper hand temporarily, and the weak are attracted by those who seem to overcome weakness. Howe else could dictatorship (Secular, Monarchic or Theocratic) be possible?
- One characteristic of force is arrogance; power is characterized by humility
- Force is pompous; it has all the answers
- Power is unassuming
- Politicians, operating out of expedience, rule by force after gaining their position through the force of persuasion
- Statesmen represent true power, ruling by inspiration, teaching by example, and standing for self-evident principle.
- Statesmen invoke the nobility that reside within all and unifies through what can best be termed "the heart"
- Although the intellect is easily fooled, the heart recognizes the truth
- Force often relies upon rhetoric, propaganda, and specious argument to garner support and disguise underlying motivations
- One characteristic of truth is that it needs no defense; it's self-evident
- Power is associated with that which supports life
- Force is associated with that which exploits life for the gain of an individual or an organization
- Force is divisive and, through that divisiveness, weakens, whereas power unifies
- Force polarizes. The jingoism that has such obvious appeal to a militaristic group just as obviously alienates the rest of the people
- Power attracts, whereas force repels, Because power unifies, it has no true enemies, although its manifestation my be opposed by opportunists whose ends it doesn't serve. Power serves others, whereas force is self-serving.
- Religion is often associated with force, sometimes disastrously so, historically and today
- Power appeals to our higher nature, force to our lower nature.