The Silent Tyranny of Perceived Powerlessness

I had an insight into the true meaning of powerlessness. What it means is that repeatedly you see evidence in your own life of being unable to evoke change.  This is change in terms of the projects a person envisages, getting work or seeing your life change. I find it interesting as it appears as powerlessness but if you look at small details change is happening all around you, mostly unnoticed.

Every day is different. You never do two things the same. Life outside is changing as seasons change, the cars driving past are different and small changes might be witnessed.

Yet the pervading feeling of being unable to evoke change in your life that is meaningful for you, is increasingly present as things don’t work out the way you envisage.

So what does the belief in powerlessness do? It makes you believe you are power-less, somehow smaller, peripheral, that what you think and say doesn’t matter. So people slowly give up and shut down. We see this with elections, people will go and vote but they don’t believe change will happen. I’ve heard so many times people say nothing changes. You hear this in workplaces. You may suggest talking to management but the people will say ‘they won’t do anything’, ‘they don’t listen’ etc. The last part is interesting ‘they don’t listen’. This masks the reality that people don’t feel heard. When they don’t feel heard they feel they don’t exist as they cannot evoke any change. This is why frustration rises, anger, meaningless, depression as the fight with one’s own mind becomes the primary battlefield. No-one is saying anything you are left to just give up. If people are in families and male, they feel useless and unable to help the family. They can’t get work. The mother looks at the husband with dismay as they suffer through his inaction. Yet he has tried and it hasn’t worked. Eventually he withdraws more and more.Such is the tyranny of powerlessness.

Powerlessness can erode at a persons self image and belief in themselves. When they lose hope then it is likely they will attract the same experience in the future. That is why people become entrenched on unemployment benefits. They remain in a pattern and they can see nothing works. They blame themselves not realising that the economic system, economic changes and human resource practices are creating the environment. Hence, the demand for certain skills, human resource criteria which serve to form the filtering out process that chooses perceived winners and losers. In a material society where what you have matters, people feel like failures as they have nothing to show for their lives.

Powerlessness can be exacerbated by lack of material wealth and the inability to access materialism, renders people marginalised and the sense of inequality arises, albeit unconsciously. The statement ‘nothing to show for your life’ is interesting. Like your life is on show to others. They silently judge you for what you have or haven’t got. I recall my ex husband saying that to me 20 years ago that people will judge our material wealth. I recall thinking at the time that is ridiculous as I never look at people for what they have, I am interested in them. I couldn’t care if they life in a squat. I’d come and visit. Yet today I would say there is truth in that, particularly with those perceived successful. I use the word ‘perceived’ because that is all it is, perception. Of course none of it is true. Even powerlessness is a belief. In truth all people are equal. Yet we can be fooled into believing we are less if people treat us negatively without respect. Yet that in truth reflects them not you. If they are of the mindset that you have no value as you own nothing then they are deeply unconscious looking at superficial material things to define who you are. As that is what they do with themselves.

All life is a mirror. Always remember that people treat you as they are not as you are. Never fall into the trap of believing a negative person, they are reflecting their own inner world out. You have to become your own best friend, you have to stand with yourself with self respect, otherwise you will be treated in a way that is demeaning. Have pride in who you are. Get up dress yourself and dress in a way that sends messages of self respect. Find occupations or interests that empower you rather than keeping on looking for work, do that from time to time but don’t let the perceived failure of that blind you to your own power and potential. You never know in reality what is around the corner, something may drop in your lap. So stay open to possibilities.

Life is our own creation, that is what we decide to think about ourselves can be governed by the negative attitudes of others or the positive self evaluation of what we know to be true. We are of value. You choose to be free rather than enslaved, as this is a mindset. You can be free in a prison, look at Nelson Mandela. Many who appear suppressed can find freedom in laughter, curiosity, friendship and a simple smile at a stranger.

Each of us are on journey’s perhaps yours is to explore the feeling of powerlessness for a time, perhaps it is to be by yourself, perhaps you are to see if you change your belief about yourself because someone disapproves of you thinking you are a loser.

No-one is ever a loser, we just lose the moment caught in thoughts that are never true. When negative, it is never true. How do you know that. It doesn’t feel good.

So if you want power, make small changes, don’t worry about the big picture. Just keep interested in life and know something will come and change is inevitable, even if it appears set in cement. Know that what others think is unimportant, they are not in your shoes and their belief systems are programmed by other interests who want you to work, or want you to remain silent, or want your compliance.

In truth you are powerful, unique, loving, interesting, creative, amazing, feeling and able to craft your choices. Remember your power is in your choice. You always have power there.

I wrote this blog as I have real power, no matter external circumstances.  

I send you love and peace, all ways.