the keys to power 3

the first key to power is power over oneself. you get shit done even if the rest of the world around you is going to shit. the second key to power is valuing what you have to offer others. when you ask favors of others, you have something to give them in return.

the third key to power is strategic. if you're an anime nerd like me, you've probably seen Full Metal Alchemist. in it, they talk about the law of equivalent exchange. that is, an exchange being only effective if the things being exchanged are of equal value. an eye for an eye, a toy for a toy, etc.

and while you can get along in the world making equal trades, it does not amass power. power is amassed in the same way wealth is, through profit. that is, in order to gain power, you must give less than you receive. equivalent exchange doesn't work for power. people have to give you more than they take from you.

why does this make you powerful? why does giving less than you receive build your power? because you don't need anything from anyone. the first key to power allows you to do for yourself. so whether others aid you or not, you will get the job done. and the second key to power allows you to place a value on what you have to offer others. when they seek assistance from you or when they assist you, it's because you have something to offer them.

it will feel like they're getting more than they paid for. if they ask for an inch, you give half an inch, but to them it will feel like you're giving a mile. that's just how much you value your half-inch.

the last key to power, then, is about realizing what you have to offer them is worth more than they have to offer you. you will get your shit done with or without them. but if they want your help, they have to be willing to pay the price for your services to get it.

the third key to power is giving less than you receive. because the little you do give is worth as much if not more than the lot that others give.

next: the door to power, because what good are the keys if you have no door to use them on?

the keys to power 2

so we've established that power is the ability to get things done, whether through other people or doing it ourselves if we have to.

but how do we get others to do things for us? simple. give them what they want.

when we want milk, we buy it at a grocery store. when we want our cars fixed, we pay someone to do that. power over others is similar. you have to offer them something in return for their services. what you offer need not be financial, but more often than not, those who we idolize for being powerful use money.

so lets explore what things we can offer in return for the services of others. we can look at a movie like "The Godfather" where mob boss Don Corleone trades favors for favors. when Don Corleone wants his godson in a movie, he offers the producer some leverage in dealing with the unions. it's an application of the saying "if you scratch my back, i'll scratch yours."

of course, not everyone will want what you have to offer. what do you do then? if you're Don Corleone, you can make an offer they can't refuse. cut off the head of their prized horse. or assure them that if they don't do something, their brains will splatter when you pull the trigger.

but lets assume you're not Don Corleone. lets assume you don't want to break the law. its the way i do things.

in such cases i still take lessons from "The Godfather". should anyone ever turn down my request for a favor, i never ask them for a favor again. how does this help gain power over them, you ask. simple. i know i have a lot to offer - my friendship, my talent, my connections, my loyalty, my sense of humor, my personality, my time, me, essentially, and all that i am and can do.

and when they turn me down, they lose everything i have to offer in return. and i make sure not to give to them if they refuse me what i ask of them. if a store refused to sell me milk i wanted, not only would i not give them my money for that transaction, i would not shop there again for anything. and if i'm really ticked off, i will do what i can do reduce their business by taking more customers to my side. to get me to stop and to stay in business, that grocery store will have to acquiese to my requests. i will then have the upper hand. same principle.

power over others is gained through exchange.

the second key to power, like the first key of power, comes back to you - value what you can offer to others. one key left.

the keys to power 1

"power is the ultimate aphrodisiac," or so henry kissinger said.

but what is power. power is easy to recognize when we see it. a man snaps his finger, people run to serve him. he utters a word, and things get done. big things. he commands, other people do. that's power. right?

wrong. what you don't see is him signing their paycheck, or at least the paycheck he signs of the guy he pays to sign everyone elses' paychecks.

power is not about controlling others. it's not about power over others because when all is said and done, we honestly have very little power over others, even the guy who issues orders. no one will do anything for you for nothing. but we do have lots of power over ourselves. because we will work for ourselves for nothing. we tie our own shoelaces. we wipe our own asses. we walk ourselves to work if our car won't start and we're late for the bus. all for free.

see, there is only one kind of power and that is the power to get things done. and it doesn't matter if you do it yourself, command one or two others, or an entire army; if you don't get things done, you have no power.

but if you can get things done, all by yourself, you have more power than all the ceos and dictators in the world.

the first key to power is power over oneself. more keys to come.