To some extend, all of us need some form of power. Whether it’s a Parent over his kids , or Teacher over his students or partner to the other half or Boss over his subordinates or Leaders over his subject.
What’s the definition of Power.
Power refers to the capability or influence over outcomes, control resources or behaviours of others. This might be Parental, Business, Corporate, romantic, social or Political.
What’s Power Complex in Psychology.
In psychology, Power is seen as a drive for control or dominating oftenly to unconsciously compensate for feelings of inadequacies.
Hence all the underlying beliefs, ideas and feelings regarding power sum up to a bundle which we shall call The Power Complex.
Power Complex According to Alfred Adler.
According to Adler, our childhood was a stage highly marked with feelings of helplessness, dependency and powerlessness that we come to compensate them in adulthood with superior dynamics. One such dynamics is through controlling or dominating overtly or covertly.
James Hillman on Power Complex
James Hillman a Jungian analyst also in his work; “In Kinds of Power: A Guide to Its Intelligent Use (1995) regarded a desire for control and fear of loss as main driving forces behind power.
Power Complex vs Superiority complex.
Though both seen as compensatory dynamics to overcome inferiorities, power complex represent mostly bundles of ideas, feelings and reactions associated with the drive to dominate or Control while Superiority complex contains bundles that are associated with acting or appearing more better than us.
Power Complex According to Carl Jung.
Jung claimed that there was a summation of ideas and strivings that we human have for personal power.
This is used to mask deep-seated feeling of well inferiority by not only overpowering others but also subordinate and subsume all other intrapsychic elements
For instance;
• The manager who’s overtly controlling every tiny details, might be loud and often remind people of his position might be compensating for deep concealed feelings of inadequacy or fear of being disrespected.
2.Sometimes one may constantly talk about how “incapable” or “unlucky” they are just to fish for compliments. It’s a way of getting others to get them up. A passive control to get attention.
3. On the internet this can be demonstrated through use of heavy jargons and aggressive tones to shut down others opinions. This is not only driven by a desire to overpower others but also a fear of being intellectually outmatched.
4. Help though helpful can come with hidden debt to create a sense of dependency and obligation. Individuals who are fond of caretaking and helping others not of genuine intentions but a need to keep them below (dependent on them).
5. The controlling parent who want to be involved in every of his childrens decision or the partner who scrutinizes the other partner’s decisions and even movement might be suffering from this complex.
6. Sometimes hoarding information to keep others dependent is a form of power complex.
7. Kids who were raised in environments that made them to feel powerless compensates for this feeling later in life by seeking positions of power or being dominating and controlling in relationships.
8. Power is not only active but also passive as in the case where an individual constantly seeks sympathy or attention by complaining, whining or feigning sickness. The kid who does this manages to control his parents behaviours. Sadly through regression, Some adults are addicted to this.
Beliefs about Power.
Most people regard power as something evil or satanic. While most people associate the word power mostly with politics, the word can widely be used and applied across various areas of life like Relationship, economics, Parenting, Friendship, Marketing etc.
Power can be evil or useful depending on the context it’s being applied and the individual person applying it or as Robert Greene says; “It’s amoral” neither good or bad.
The individual led by a healthy form of power channels his energy to create something useful for the members of the community.
The Ego-driven form of power however can be destructive eg; The loud, boomy form of power to keep other humans down.Â