Throughout the entirety of human existence, there has always been a prevalent battle for power. Why? It is in general human nature to wish for superiority amongst others, regardless of the circumstances. We all carry a subconscious or conscious greed for dominance as there is an ongoing fear of vulnerability. As a result, there is a lingering battle within a society where people have a constant need to outdo one another. However, with some individuals, there is a lack of awareness of the impact their decisions and opinions have on other people. Innocent people
For centuries, the primary approach to obtain power is through the oppression of others. Individuals utilise people’s ‘vulnerabilities’ in order to make them feel inferior to themselves, with a clear lack of regard to the effect the recipient is facing. Disabilities, race, culture, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age – in our modern, advanced society people are still being targeted and discriminated due to their personal beliefs and morals or things that they cannot influence. From small sneering comments to violent and harmful actions, simply for a sense of throwaway supremacy. Anyone has the ability to discriminate against others – even influential members of society. World leaders, celebrities, entrepreneurs have often said or done discriminating actions. Though some are being called out for their insensitivity, more action must be taken to prevent influential people from normalising this behaviour. However, due to their power, their inappropriate actions are often dismissed as being a ‘joke’.
On a larger scale, our greed for power can extend to detrimental circumstances, due to egotistical and irrational decisions made by influential members. Conflictions between world leaders have shown to have countless impacts on society. These conflicts all originate from one source – the need for power. However, there is a lack of regard for the position it places the public in. Innocent men, women, and children across the world have faced war, death, famine, violence while the instigators of this problem remain comfortable and protected. Nevertheless, this crisis is not set to stop in the near future. As nuclear weapons and technology advances, there is no clear theory as to what the future may bring.
So, the question is, how can we stop this problem? Is it possible to prevent human greed and selfishness? Though distressing, this is unlikely. As mentioned, prior, human instinct is based on the need for power. Preventing this could be very difficult. However, as members of society, we can all obtain mutual respect. Although we all have varying opinions, beliefs, morals, we can maintain a sense of respect, instead of bringing harm to one another. Potentially, this could bring change and innovation into our society, for the future. If we start at the bottom, we may be able to reach the top.
