Why Power Always Leads to Corruption
How much is enough? It’s a widely discussed concept at Elite Daily, and we try to routinely propose this topic to our readers. Does enough come in the form of absolute power, fortunate, affluence, women, or the cars? Unfortunately, we possess no adequate answer for this topic.
On the other hand, we are certainly sure that each case involves individuals who originally had honest intentions but soon lost their good nature along the way.
With the unfortunate exception of Tim Tebow, it appears extremely hard to find anyone to look up to these days. Leaders of governments on the local and international levels have ruined their credibility through allegations of corruption and other outrageous scandals.
Clinton, Berlusconi, Spitzer, Kobe, Tiger and even Bruno Mars have all had their reputations marred by incriminating tales of sex, drugs, and overall misconduct. What sense of “untouchability” do these individuals subscribed themselves to that allows them to defy all moral and legal laws?
On top of it all, the media only glorifies the bad guys. Our country remains obsessed with perpetual stories of people rising to the top, subsequently falling to the dead bottom, and finally struggling to get back on their feet. Simply put, America loves to indulge in everyday redemption stories.
Throughout our history, a few influential figures have managed to entangle themselves in many conflicts of interests. For example, the President of the United States holds tremendous power that can lead to great rewards and perks, but the President’s position and legacy fade away once he leaves office. On the other hand, his personal interests may encourage him to sustain his old stature in politics, and cling onto power through his former influence and exploitation of past achievements.
To a certain extent, corporate leaders act the same way as high public officials. They usually follow one of two paths: they boost their legacy if they run a corporation ethically or they can jeopardize their position by abusing power. Basically, they can choose to retire from their company in honor or vacant the premises in disgrace.
There is a noticeable distinction between the benefits that come from your position versus the rewards derived from your stature. We define stature as the combination of factors that determine how other perceive you. For example, someone’s stature may stem from factors such as education, experience, income, wealth management, or networking in high level business circles. On the other hand, only your employment determines your position. Your position may endow you with power, but your stature has the real potential for growth and ultimate success.
It is easy to lose your good intentions along the way, but one must never forget the source of their passion. The fame, fortune, and bright lights can blind anyone who is not fully prepared for the upgrade in lifestyle. What kind of person do you want to be if you find yourself stripped of all of your wealth, status, and power? The importance of maintaining a down to earth attitude exceeds all temporary materialistic and egocentric pleasures. Always keep your feet on the ground or you just might get carried away.
Elite.
