I Appreciate Honesty and Truth
Dr. David Hawkins - Power vs. Force
...by virtue of the divinity of his creation. Gandhi believed that human rights are not granted by any earthly power, but are inherent in the nature of man himself by consequence of his creation.3...
Power in Politics
To better understand the critical difference between force and power and the implications of this distinction for our own lives, it is helpful to examine human behavior on a larger scale. The interactions of men and governments provide many clear illustrations. Looking at history from our unique perspective, we will of course be reminded of the powerful example set by the American Revolution, which first formally established freedom as an inalienable right, setting a precedent for centuries to come. Principles that calibrate as high as 700 affect mankind over great courses of time. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword, because power originates from the mind, whereas force is rooted only in the material world. A related pivotal event in global history, to which we have already referred and will again, came about in this century through the power of a solitary person: Mahatma Gandhi, a ninety-pound so-called “colored” who single-handedly overcame the British Empire, which was then the greatest force in the world, ruling two-thirds of the face of the globe.1 Gandhi not only brought the British Empire to its knees, he effectively rang down the curtain on the centuries-old drama of colonialism, and he did it by simply standing for a principle: the intrinsic dignity of man and his right to freedom, sovereignty, and self-determination.2 Fundamental to this principle, in Gandhi’s view, was the fact that such rights derive to man by virtue of the divinity of his creation. Gandhi believed that human rights are not granted by any earthly power, but are inherent in the nature of man himself by consequence of his creation.3 Violence is force; because Gandhi was aligned with power instead of force, he forbade all use of violence in his cause.4 And because he expressed universal principles (which calibrate at 700), he was able to unite the will of the people. When the will of the people is so united and aligned with universal principles, it is virtually unconquerable. Colonialism (which calibrates at 175) is founded on the self-interest of the ruling country. Gandhi demonstrated, for the world to witness, the power of selflessness versus the force of self-interest.5 (The same principle has also been demonstrated quite dramatically in South Africa by Nelson Mandela.)6 Power accomplishes with ease that which force cannot accomplish, even with extreme effort. Thus, in our own time, we have seen the almost effortless toppling of communism as a governmental form, after half a century of the most ominous—and ultimately ineffectual—military confrontation of history. The political naïveté of the Russian people, long used to the tyrannical rule of czars, did not allow them the civic wisdom to understand that in the name of “communism,” a totalitarian dictatorship was actually being established. Similarly, the German people were deceived by Hitler, who rose to power in the name of national socialism, only to establish a virtual tyranny. A distinctive characteristic of force in politics is that it cannot tolerate dissent.
...by virtue of the divinity of his creation. Gandhi believed that human rights are not granted by any earthly power, but are inherent in the nature of man himself by consequence of his creation.3...
Power in Politics
To better understand the critical difference between force and power and the implications of this distinction for our own lives, it is helpful to examine human behavior on a larger scale. The interactions of men and governments provide many clear illustrations. Looking at history from our unique perspective, we will of course be reminded of the powerful example set by the American Revolution, which first formally established freedom as an inalienable right, setting a precedent for centuries to come. Principles that calibrate as high as 700 affect mankind over great courses of time. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword, because power originates from the mind, whereas force is rooted only in the material world. A related pivotal event in global history, to which we have already referred and will again, came about in this century through the power of a solitary person: Mahatma Gandhi, a ninety-pound so-called “colored” who single-handedly overcame the British Empire, which was then the greatest force in the world, ruling two-thirds of the face of the globe.1 Gandhi not only brought the British Empire to its knees, he effectively rang down the curtain on the centuries-old drama of colonialism, and he did it by simply standing for a principle: the intrinsic dignity of man and his right to freedom, sovereignty, and self-determination.2 Fundamental to this principle, in Gandhi’s view, was the fact that such rights derive to man by virtue of the divinity of his creation. Gandhi believed that human rights are not granted by any earthly power, but are inherent in the nature of man himself by consequence of his creation.3 Violence is force; because Gandhi was aligned with power instead of force, he forbade all use of violence in his cause.4 And because he expressed universal principles (which calibrate at 700), he was able to unite the will of the people. When the will of the people is so united and aligned with universal principles, it is virtually unconquerable. Colonialism (which calibrates at 175) is founded on the self-interest of the ruling country. Gandhi demonstrated, for the world to witness, the power of selflessness versus the force of self-interest.5 (The same principle has also been demonstrated quite dramatically in South Africa by Nelson Mandela.)6 Power accomplishes with ease that which force cannot accomplish, even with extreme effort. Thus, in our own time, we have seen the almost effortless toppling of communism as a governmental form, after half a century of the most ominous—and ultimately ineffectual—military confrontation of history. The political naïveté of the Russian people, long used to the tyrannical rule of czars, did not allow them the civic wisdom to understand that in the name of “communism,” a totalitarian dictatorship was actually being established. Similarly, the German people were deceived by Hitler, who rose to power in the name of national socialism, only to establish a virtual tyranny. A distinctive characteristic of force in politics is that it cannot tolerate dissent.
61-69, F
