PAGE IN PROGRESS What you see here is a page of my hypertext book POWER of meanings // MEANINGS of power. Initially empty, this page will slowly be filled with thoughts, notes, and quotes. One day, I will use them to write a coherent entry, similar to these completed pages. See this post to better understand my creative process. Thank you for your interest and patience!
When we blame, the unspoken assumption is that somebody has power but is not using it. We need to understand the difference between having and using power.
Our actions are always a result of a combination of micropower and macropower, which means that there is a combination of power and powerlessness.
How can we hold anybody accountable for their actions if there is a degree of powerlessness? How can be blame? How can we punish? This should connect to a discussion about prisons. Literature on why, when prisons function as punishment, they are ineffective (and even harmful). The idea of consequences - what we try to apply with our children. Actions should have consequences so that we learn from them and grow. But they should not lead to punishment.
understanding how power works leads to a different mindset: instead of thinking prof other people as trying to trick you, hurt you, blaming them for the problems you experience, you can think about all of you together being caught in the same systems that is beyond control or even full understanding of any specific individuals empathy and curiosity