This article is an examination on the nature of power.

Power is the ability to transform will into reality. The powerful have a greater capacity to impose their will on the world¹, and the not so powerful have a lesser capacity to do so.

It is natural for humans to desire power. Power provides one with the ability to acquire what one wants. On a higher level it empowers a person to achieve goals, dreams, and aspirations. On a more basic level it allows a person to satisfy basic needs such as food, water, and shelter.

Humans naturally have wants and needs and thus humans seek power to fulfill those wants and needs. But how does one acquire power? There are seven sources of power. Acquiring and building upon these seven sources of power is how one becomes powerful. Remember also that power begets power. Those with power can use it to fulfill what they desire, which often includes the desire for more power. Thus the acquisition or growth of one of these sources of power can aid in the acquisition or growth of other sources of power.

Let us discuss the seven sources of power.

The 7 Sources of Power

1. Wealth

Wealth is a source of power as it can be used to purchase what one wants from others. Many of the things one may desire in life can be found in the possession of others. From the food held by the supermarket or the farmer, to the professional services of a designer or engineer, to the equity of a promising business, wealth can be exchanged for the goods, services, and assets that one wants from others. Many people would gladly accept money to provide these goods, services, or assets, as it increases their own wealth, which in turn can be used to acquire what they themselves want.

Money is the form of wealth used to acquire things from others. However it is not the only form of wealth, and it is not the only avenue of wealth as a source of power. Wealth in the form of assets is also a source of power. An asset is a resource that can provide value to its owner. Assets can be used to transform will into reality. Assets in the more economic or financial sense of the term include land holdings, real estate holdings, business holdings, intellectual property holdings, and other property holdings. Not only can these assets generate more wealth, which humans naturally want more of, but they can also provide for other wants and needs. Owning farmland can provide food, water, and other resources. Owning a house provides shelter, space, safety, and security. Owning a business provides one with the opportunity to steer the business in a direction that one desires and fulfill one’s goals and dreams. Owning intellectual property allows one to decide what an invention, technology, artwork, film, song, literary work, etc. can be used for, preventing its use for purposes one disfavors, and allowing and even encouraging its use for purposes one favors. Similar things can be said for other property holdings.

Other possessions not usually considered “assets” in the economic and financial context can still be considered “assets” in the context of power because they can be used to transform will into reality. A nation that is well supplied with weapons, for example, would be wealthy in those weapons that serve as a source of power to achieve military goals. An organization with talented people would have a wealth of talent that can be applied to achieve the goals of the organization. A person with a library of good books can use it to improve his knowledge and skills, train his mind, and gain relevant information that could help him achieve his goals. A person with a gym membership or a well-equipped gym himself can use it to train his body to become stronger, healthier, and more beautiful which can all help him achieve certain goals he has (strength can win fights, health can provide a higher quality and longer life, beauty can attract others, etc.), as well as being goals themselves.

Any possession that can be used to transform will into reality is an asset, and is part of the wealth that serves as a source of power.

Wealth is a very potent form of power. In the form of money it can be used to purchase what one wants, and in the form of assets it can be used to generate more wealth, provide resources, or fulfill other desires or objectives.

But wealth as a source of power has limitations.

Firstly, not everything is for sale. There are things one desires that others are not willing to sell. There are things one desires that others are not permitted to sell. There are also things one desires that others simply do not have available to sell. There are ways to overcome this limitation. Sometimes others may change their mind about their willingness to sell if the price is raised, sometimes laws change that allow previously prohibited things to be sold, and sometimes technology improves or new businesses are created so that things that were previously unavailable become available for sale. People can even personally overcome this limitation by offering a higher price, taking political or legal action, or creating or assisting to create new technologies or businesses so that things that were previously unavailable become available for sale. Of course, this limitation isn’t overcome in every case, as others may not be willing to sell something even at a higher price, or one may not even have the wealth to offer an acceptably high price, or one may not have the power to affect political or legal change to legalize the sale of prohibited things, or one may not have the power to create new technologies or businesses to bring new things to the market. Whatever the case, not everything is for sale. Sometimes one overcomes this limitation, sometimes one does not.

Secondly, and this limitation applies more to wealth in the form of assets rather than wealth in the form of money, others, particularly government authorities, can restrict and regulate the use of wealth and may even coerce the owners of wealth into using their wealth for purposes they would otherwise not choose themselves. For example, a business owner may be restricted from taking certain actions due to government regulations. The business owner may also be restricted from taking certain actions by criminal activity. Also, a landowner may be coerced by government authorities or criminals for the use of the landowner’s land, even if it is against the landowner’s will.

Thirdly, wealth can be stolen. A very unfortunate thing about building wealth is that wealth is vulnerable to theft. Wealth can be taken by robbery, fraud, taxation, etc. Taxation on what a person owns is simply extortion and theft, as one does not really own something if one has to make regular payments to keep it from being taken by force. This type of taxation is totally different from taxation on what a person buys, or what a person earns, as it violates the person’s right of property.

The previous two limitations can be overcome by the forceful protection of one’s own wealth. When dealing with governments, people can take political or legal action to safeguard their own property. They may even move their property to another jurisdiction where their property would be more safe from government interference or confiscation. When dealing with criminals or other malevolent individuals, people can personally defend their property by force, hire guards and enlist the help of others, install security systems, and take other security measures. Even something as simple as locking the door can prevent a criminal from breaking into one’s house, as the criminal may look for an easier unlocked house to rob. When dealing with fraudsters, people need to be discrete with who they trust and what information they share. Same can be said for dealing with hackers. Cybersecurity measures are important.

Many entrust third parties for the protection of their wealth. Banks, for example, are supposed to keep their clients’ deposits safe. Business owners may hire security guards and cybersecurity specialists, real estate owners may hire security companies, and intellectual property owners may hire lawyers to defend against unlawful use of their intellectual property.

Thus, although wealth can be a very potent source of power, it does have its limitations, and owners of wealth may have to take action to overcome these limitations to unleash the greater power of their wealth.

2. Social Influence

Social influence is also a very potent source of power, and perhaps the source of power most people think about when thinking about power. The ability to influence, lead, and direct others to carry out one’s will is quintessentially powerful. It is the source of power of emperors, kings, generals and admirals, high priests, business executives, and other leaders. It is the source of power of leadership!

But the power of social influence isn’t restricted to only leadership. Although it is more common for leaders to exercise the power of social influence over their followers, followers too can exercise the power of social influence over their leaders. An advisor of a monarch, for example, can influence the monarch’s decision even though the advisor is subordinate to the monarch. The advisor may even choose to influence the monarch’s decision in a way that carries out the will of the advisor, which is an expression of power. Still, authority rests on the leader, so the follower to leader exercise of social influence is a weaker form of power than the leader to follower exercise of social influence.

Neither is social influence restricted to hierarchical relationships. Those in equal positions may also influence each other and help each other achieve what they want. Friends, for example, influence and aid each other very often. Many of the great achievements of humanity have been achieved through strong friendships, from warrior brotherhoods to cooperation between thinkers and scientists, from business partnerships to political alliances, so much of the world was built upon the foundation of strong friendships.

Which leads to the next point about the power of social influence. Not only is the power of social influence exercised on others to carry out one’s will, but the power of social influence can be received from others to empower oneself. Receiving love, loyalty, friendship, wisdom, knowledge, support, motivation, inspiration, and so many other things from other people increases one’s own power. Humans are naturally social. Receiving positive influence from and having positive interactions with others enlivens the human spirit and pushes it to achieve great things.

Here are examples of ways to gain social influence, and the corresponding ways to lose them. Gaining the respect and trust of others increases social influence. Losing the respect and trust of others decreases social influence. Being better liked, favored, and loved by others increases social influence. Being less liked, favored, and loved by others decreases social influence. Attracting others increases social influence. Failure to attract others decreases social influence. Having others’ attention, and being more thought about by others increases social influence. Having less of others’ attention, and being less thought about by others decreases social influence. Gaining others’ loyalty increases social influence. Losing others’ loyalty decreases social influence. Arousing the emotions and spirits of others increases social influence. Not arousing the emotions and spirits of others decreases social influence. Being persuasive and convincing increases social influence. Not being persuasive and convincing decreases social influence. Engaging the senses of others increases social influence. Failure to engage the senses of others decreases social influence. Providing value for others increases social influence. Not providing value for others decreases social influence. Having what others want can increase social influence. Not having what others want can decrease social influence. There are many ways to increase social influence, and many ways to lose it.

Here are examples of ways receiving social influence from others can increase one’s power, and the corresponding ways it can decrease one’s power. Surrounding oneself with positive people increases one’s power. Surrounding oneself with negative people decreases one’s power. Surrounding oneself with the people one seeks to learn from and be like increases one’s power. Surrounding oneself with the people one does not seek to learn from and be like decreases one’s power. Those who surround themselves with people who love and support them increase their own power. Those who surround themselves with people who don’t love and support them decrease their own power. Those who surround themselves with people who share a common goal increase their own power. Those who surround themselves with people who don’t share a common goal decrease their own power. Those who surround themselves with people who respect and trust them increase their own power. Those who surround themselves with people who don’t respect and trust them decrease their own power. Those who surround themselves with people who are loyal to them increase their own power. Those who surround themselves with people who are not loyal to them decrease their own power. There are many ways receiving social influence from others can increase one’s power, and many ways it can decrease it as well.

The power of social influence can be in the form of authority, or it can be in the form of relationships. Positions of authority will grant the holders of such positions social influence over those under such authority. For example, a general would be in a position of authority over subordinate officers and soldiers. A business executive would be in a position of authority over subordinate employees. A school headmaster would be in a position of authority over subordinate teachers and staff. Those under such positions of authority are obeying because of the position, and not necessarily because of the holder of the position.

Social influence in the form of relationships do not require positions of authority to be exercised. In this case, people are being influenced directly because of the person, and not because of any position of authority the person may have. For example, a friend may do a favor purely out of friendship, and not because one holds any position of authority over that friend. People may follow someone they trust, admire, and respect and accept that person’s leadership, not because of any formal position of authority, but because of the trust, admiration, and respect they have for that person. People may also do favors for those they simply like, and no position of authority is needed to get them to perform such favors. In these cases, social influence is exercised because of the relationship, and not because of any position of authority.

Social influence in the form of authority and social influence in the form of relationships are not mutually exclusive. Positions of authority can help form social relationships. Social relationships can help acquire positions of authority. It is not a good idea for those in positions of authority to not form positive social relationships with those under such authority. It is also more difficult to acquire positions of authority without good social relationships to help acquire these positions of authority.

Much of social activity happens on the group level, beyond the individual level. Individuals are members of families, clans, tribes, and nations. These groups have especially deep bonds, as they are part of who an individual is. There is only so much an individual can do without the help of others. Many tasks require group effort. The more powerful the group is, the more powerful the individuals in that group are. An individual from a powerful family will have more power himself. An individual from a powerful clan will have more power himself. An individual from a powerful tribe will have more power himself. An individual from a powerful nation will have more power himself. Social influence within these groups is already there by being part of the group, so the more powerful the in-group is, the greater the power from social influence the individual has. Increasing the power of the in-group would further increase this power of social influence, which is a major reason why people naturally devote themselves to bettering their families, their clans, their tribes, and their nations. When the in-group gains power the individuals within it gain power. When the in-group loses power the individuals within it lose power.

Of course, this group power element of social influence only works if there is cohesiveness and solidarity within the group, and the group’s members are loyal to one another and to the group as a whole. Without cohesiveness the group can’t work together to achieve goals. Without solidarity the group won’t appreciate their common bond and stand united. Without loyalty the group’s members won’t work for the benefit of each other and for the group as a whole. There are many examples of broken and separated families, dispersed clans, scattered tribes, and divided and atomized nations. Members of such disunited groups won’t be able to benefit from the group power element of social influence. Worse, other groups that have cohesiveness and solidarity and can rely on the loyalty of their members can take advantage of these disunited groups and take power over them. There is power in unity. A united group that works together can beat a divided group that does not. Throughout history many smaller but more united nations were able to conquer larger but more divided ones. Group disunity is also a liability, as it produces more traitors that can help the enemy. Groups with loyal members would work for the benefit of the group, not against it.

Thus, to increase the group power element of social influence, increase the cohesiveness, solidarity, and loyalty of the group.

Individuals may also form groups themselves, often to achieve a common purpose. Militaries are formed to achieve military goals and defend the nation. Businesses are formed to make money from business ideas. Professional associations are formed to share knowledge and wisdom, and to network with fellow professionals. Political parties are formed to gain power in government. Scientific societies are formed to share knowledge and discoveries, to cooperate on scientific research, and to network with fellow scientists. Music bands are formed to create or play music. There can be power in being members of these groups. As a member, an individual would have social influence within that group, so the more powerful the group is, the more powerful the individual is as well. However, since these groups are formed for specific purposes, that power is confined to those purposes. This is unlike groups such as family, clan, tribe, and nation which are part of an individual’s identity, and have special bonds that go beyond specific purposes.

3. Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge and skills make up another source of power. Those with greater knowledge or greater skill are more capable of accomplishing things, and thus more able to transform their will into reality.

This is a pretty obvious source of power. Nevertheless, here are some examples to illustrate and emphasize the point:

An engineer with greater engineering knowledge will be more able to engineer more advanced items and technologies, and in better quality too. A scientist with greater scientific knowledge will be more able to apply that knowledge for practical purposes, or use that knowledge to make further scientific discoveries. A doctor with greater medical knowledge will be more able to treat patients, and to make recommendations or suggestions for better health. A skilled fighter will be more able to defeat hostile opponents. A skilled detective will be more able to uncover the truth in investigations. A skilled leader will be more able to win the hearts, the trust, and the support of others and to inspire and direct them to achieve goals and results.

Social skills are incredibly important for mastering relationships. They are useful for both the acquisition and exercise of the power of social influence.

Having knowledge and skills provides opportunities when it comes to job positions. Employers hire those with the knowledge and skills to successfully do their jobs. People can make an impact through their jobs, and if this impact is the will of the holders of these jobs, then it is an exercise of power. For example, an aspiring scientist with a dream to make new scientific discoveries for the advancement and betterment of humanity can study science and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to gain a job position as a scientist. Once this job position has been acquired, the scientist can then fulfill his dream through this job position and make new scientific discoveries that result in the advancement and betterment of humanity, thus turning the scientist’s will into reality. It is the job position that enables the scientist to fulfill his dream, as it provides the resources for him to do so. Acquiring job positions also provides the job holders with the money and other compensation to build wealth, and to provide for themselves and their families. To provide for oneself and one’s family is one of the most fundamental human drives, and successfully doing so is an exercise of power. The same can be said for building wealth in general.

Some job positions may even be positions of authority, which means those who are able to acquire these jobs will also have the extra benefit of greater power from social influence, in the form of authority. For example, an incredibly gifted scientist with great knowledge and skill in the scientific profession may be selected to lead a research team, and will then have the power of social influence in the form of authority over subordinate scientists and researchers in the team. Many organizations promote their people to greater positions of authority after they have performed well and proven that they have the knowledge and skills to contribute successfully.

Thus, knowledge and skills are powerful for the acquisition of the job positions one desires, and to achieve whatever goals that come with such jobs, whether it is personal purpose, monetary gain, or greater authority. The ability to fulfill goals and desires is the definition of power.

Having knowledge and skills can also increase social influence, as people naturally seek competence when looking for leaders, teachers, and mentors. People often seek to form relationships with the knowledgeable and skillful, seeking their leadership, wisdom, and guidance. Thus, those with knowledge and skills, and the ability to display them confidently, will have an advantage in building relationships and increasing their social influence, especially in leadership, teaching, and mentorship roles.

4. Beauty

Beauty is an intrinsic value. Like honor, glory, love, justice, excellence and other noble values, beauty is an end-in-itself, and does not need to serve any other purpose.

Humanity has always been enamored by beauty. Whether it is found in nature, in art, in architecture, in music, in fashion, in design, or in humans themselves, beauty is valued and cherished. Beauty inspires, it attracts, it invigorates the soul, it elevates the senses and passions, it deeply affects the human spirit. Beauty is powerful.

Many people decide to go out in nature, decorate their homes and workplaces with art, purchase homes with great architecture, walk in and around buildings with great architecture, play or listen to music, wear good clothes, purchase nicely designed products, and spend time with good-looking people, not for any ulterior purpose, but simply for the sake of beauty. Beauty has an inspiring and invigorating effect on the spirit. Beauty elevates the senses and passions. Spending time in the beauty of nature can inspire new thoughts and creative ideas. Surrounding oneself in a beautiful environment can invigorate the soul and drive one towards discovering and achieving one’s will. Playing or listening to beautiful music has a similar invigorating effect on the soul. Wearing beautiful clothes or using beautiful devices can heighten one’s senses and lead one to become more aware and alive. Spending time with beautiful people can ignite one’s passions and drive one towards a higher and more energetic existence!

Beauty is thus a source of power! It powers the human spirit through inspiration, invigoration, heightened senses, ignited passions, and pushes one towards a higher and greater existence!

Those who are inspired and invigorated have more creativity and energy to carry out their will. Those with heightened senses and ignited passions are more alive and full of life and will be more driven to achieve their desires. One must be more alive to have wills and desires in the first place!

Surrounding oneself with beauty is not the only way beauty serves as a source of power. Possessing beauty is another way beauty serves as a source of power. One can possess beauty itself, that is beauty in one’s body, mind, and spirit, and one can also possess beautiful things. In the case of possessing beauty itself, it needs to be said that one is not exactly “possessing” beauty, but one is simply beautiful, as the body, mind, and spirit make up a being, and one cannot possess what one simply is. Many still equate “being beautiful” with “possessing beauty” and use the two phrases interchangeably, hence the need for explanation.

A beautiful body is a source of power. It is first of all a reflection of the body’s fitness, its strength, health, and well-being, as will be discussed in the next section. Physically fit bodies are inherently beautiful, as they embody the human form at its peak and prime, the human body at its best. A beautiful body goes hand-in-hand with strength, health, and well-being and has all the benefits of those qualities, which will later be discussed. But there are also other ways the body’s beauty serves as a source of power.

A beautiful body possesses tremendous social power and has a strong psychological effect on others. Beautiful people inspire awe, admiration, and respect in others. They are viewed more positively and captivate others’ attention. Beauty has charisma, charm, and elegance. Humans naturally appreciate beauty and gravitate towards the beautiful. Beautiful people can and should take advantage of the many social benefits of beauty to not only increase social influence, but to also exercise social power to transform will into reality.

Perhaps where the social power of a beautiful body is strongest is in sexual attraction and seduction. First let’s dispense with the false dichotomy between the face and the body that has been adopted by so many people in today’s world. The face is a part of the body. It may be one of the most noticeable parts of the body and it may have a disproportionately strong role in the social power of the body, but it is still a part of the body. Thus, simply the term “body” will be used, which should be understood as including the “face”. As discussed in the previous paragraph, there are many social benefits that come with a beautiful body. But when it comes to sexual attraction and seduction, the magnitude of these benefits are multiplied. Physical beauty is highly valued and sought after in mate selection. It reflects the genetic and physical fitness of a prospective mate, which is essential to producing children of high genetic quality and taking care of them after birth. Thus it is perfectly natural, healthy, and proper to place a high value on beauty when it comes to mate selection. Beautiful people will have more power in attracting and seducing prospective mates because prospective mates naturally desire to mate with beautiful people. This power fulfills one of the most powerful and fundamental human desires, the sexual desire, and so is highly valuable and should not be trivialized. Of course, there are other factors at play in the mating game, but beauty is an extremely important one.

Many people today use the phrases “outer beauty” and “inner beauty” to distinguish between physical beauty and the beauty of a person’s non-physical qualities. These “non-physical qualities” are simply the mind and spirit of the person. I dislike the phrases “outer beauty” and “inner beauty” because they are used to separate the body from the mind and spirit and treat them as separate entities, when they are all one. This article may discuss each of these elements individually, but it emphasizes that the body, mind, and spirit are one and inseparable. Fitness of body is linked to fitness of mind and spirit, and so, beauty of body is linked to beauty of mind and spirit.

The mind is responsible for thinking, planning, deciding, and is the executive center of a being. Beauty of mind is not necessarily the same as intelligence, though all else equal higher intelligence is more beautiful than lower intelligence. However, the quality of thoughts and mentality of the mind matter very much as well. High intelligence that produces negative thoughts, demoralizing thinking, neurotic mentality, defeatist mindset, and perverted ideas is much uglier than a lower intelligence that produces positive thoughts, uplifting thinking, healthy mentality, triumphant mindset, and virtuous ideas. The latter reflects a beautiful love of life, while the former reflects an ugly hatred of life. A beautiful mind is one that is positive, uplifting, healthy, triumphant, and virtuous. It is a mind that is optimistic. Only then can level of intelligence add to its beauty. An ugly mind is one that, if it isn’t full of hatred of life, is devoid of the passionate spirit of life. No amount of intelligence can make up for a mind that hates life or is devoid of life, it will always remain ugly.

Likewise, a beautiful spirit is one that is full of life, full of passion. The spirit is the transcendental essence of a being. It transcends the physical elements of a being, the body and mind, but at the same time is intimately connected to them. Higher qualities such as determination, strength of will, discipline, resilience, perseverance, and bravery all come from the spirit, and has an immense effect on people’s trajectory in life and ability to transform will into reality.

Beautiful minds and beautiful spirits are sources of power that can fuel people with the morale, passion, and vitality to achieve what they want. A beautiful mind with positive thoughts and a healthy mentality is important to maintain morale in any endeavor. A beautiful spirit that is determined, strong in will, disciplined, resilient, persevering, and brave is an incredible force that can achieve incredible things.

Like beautiful bodies, beautiful minds and beautiful spirits also have social power. People naturally gravitate towards the positive thoughts and healthy mentality that come from a beautiful mind, as well as the noble qualities that come from a beautiful spirit. Leaders should be able to inspire hope and boost morale. Leaders should be able to be noble examples that uplift their followers and win their admiration and respect. Beautiful minds and beautiful spirits empower leaders to accomplish these tasks. That is why they can be so powerful for leaders to carry their followers to achieve whatever purpose they are striving towards. They are also powerful because people naturally seek such qualities in leaders, and will gravitate towards those with these qualities for leadership, which means those with beautiful minds and beautiful spirits have an advantage in attaining social influence and leadership positions. Moreover, this beauty of mind and spirit is simply more attractive because it makes other people feel better and is more admirable, respectable, and noble. Thoughts, emotions, and spiritual energy are contagious. It is natural for people to want to spend time with those who make them feel good, and those they admire and respect. That is why a beautiful mind and beautiful spirit is also attractive for all sorts of relationships, from family to friendship to romance.

As said before, the beauty of the body, the mind, and the spirit are intimately connected. A healthy body produces healthy signals for the mind to produce positive thoughts and a healthy mentality. A strong body is linked to a strong spirit, for the spirit of the person arises from what the person is, and in this case, strong! Moreover, the exercise and training it takes to strengthen the body also exercises and trains the spirit to become stronger, for it takes determination, strength of will, discipline, resilience, and perseverance to consistently exercise and train the muscles and push the limits of the body to build strength. A beautiful mind that produces positive thoughts, uplifting thinking, healthy mentality, triumphant mindset, and virtuous ideas fuels the morale, life, and passion of a beautiful spirit. Such a mind also benefits the body, as there are many physical benefits to a positive state of mind, as will be discussed later. Additionally, a positive and healthy mind also encourages one to live in a more positive and healthy way, increasing the fitness and beauty of the body. A beautiful spirit is one that is full of life and full of passion, which is important for both mental and physical well-being. It would be difficult for the mind to reflect a beautiful love of life when the spirit is not also full of life and passion. And a body that is not exerting itself, that is not striving towards the dreams, goals, and passions that come from a lively spirit, would not be in an optimal state. Strength, health, passion, vitality, and beauty are all interlinked!

Finally, possessing beautiful things also serves as a source of power. In addition to allowing one to surround oneself with beauty, the power of which has already been discussed, the possession of beautiful things has a strong social power. They inspire awe, admiration, and respect in others. That is one of the reasons why emperors and kings throughout history built beautiful palaces and wore beautiful clothes. They convey the glory of the monarch and strengthen the monarch’s authority in the eyes of the people. Aesthetics are a form of communication, and beautiful aesthetics can communicate power and glory, which people naturally seek in leaders. Power and glory also intimidates enemies, which strengthens the power of those who are able to convey them.

When it comes to business, businesses with more beautiful aesthetics, whether in stores, or in logos, or in media, or in the products themselves, will be more attractive for consumers than if they had uglier aesthetics. People naturally gravitate towards beautiful things, which means beauty also strengthens the power of businesses who possess it, allowing them to attract more customers and make bigger profits. It also allows businesses to charge higher prices, as people are willing to pay a premium for beauty.

Beauty is powerful!

5. Body

No matter what, being weak, sick, and unwell will diminish one’s power. The body, mind, and spirit are one. Not taking care of the body will negatively affect the mind and spirit within. Healthy thoughts and healthy spirit are intimately connected with a healthy body. A strong body, good health, and overall positive well-being in a person produces the energy needed to carry out one’s will. People simply function better and at a higher level when their bodies are in good condition.

Ultimately, the other sources of power cease to matter when they cannot be applied through action. Being too weak, sick, or unwell can prevent one from taking the action needed to apply one’s power to transform will into reality. The body’s strength, health, and well-being are the essentials needed to take action and use one’s abilities and resources to carry out one’s will.

Strength by itself is a source of power. Those who are strong are more able to physically impose their will on the world. The strong can lift heavier weights, move heavier objects, throw further distances, run at greater speeds, perform physical tasks with greater ease, and overall are more capable of physically mastering their surroundings. The strong are more able to force others to bend to their will, defeat others in physical combat, and physically dominate others. The strong are better able to defend themselves, their families, and others they want to protect. There is also a psychological element to the power of strength. Those who are visibly strong inspire awe, admiration, and respect in others, they strike fear in their enemies, and they deter those with bad intentions who prefer to seek weaker and easier targets. Thus, the psychological effect of strength increases social influence, demoralizes enemies, and deters bad intentioned people from opposing the will of the strong. Strength is raw power!

Good health is a source of power. The body relies on good health to function optimally. A person in bad health will have a diminished ability to perform the actions needed to achieve what the person wants, thus diminishing the person’s effective power. None of the other sources of power matter much if a person is too sick to use them. Bad health also reduces one’s life span, taking away the time available to achieve what one wants, and thus reducing one’s ability to transform will into reality, thereby diminishing one’s power. Sickness and injury lower quality of life and are conditions people naturally want to prevent, withstand, or overcome. Being powerless to prevent, withstand, or overcome sickness or injury due to an unhealthy body is by definition a lack of power. Good health prevents and withstands sickness and injury, is more able to overcome sickness and injury if they do occur, extends life span, and allows for one to function optimally and at a higher level. These benefits optimize, energize, and fuel one’s ability to take the actions needed to turn one’s will into reality. Thus, a healthy body is a fundamental source of power.

The body’s well-being is a source of power. In addition to strength and health that contribute to bodily well-being, the body should be taken care of for optimal functioning. Getting enough sleep, enough nutrition, enough sunlight, enough physical, mental, social, and spiritual activity (body, mind, and spirit are one), and enough of all the other elements to the body’s well-being is important for the body to be in good condition. A body that is well is a body that can function better and thus would have a greater ability to transform will into reality.

6. Mind

Although the organ synonymous with the mind, the brain², is a part of the body, the mind is responsible for the incredible mental faculties of a being, such as intelligence, thinking, creativity, and imagination, and therefore deserves individual attention. These mental faculties of the mind go beyond the physical capabilities of the body, and so must be discussed.

The mind is the executive center of a being. The mind thinks, it decides, it plans, it controls, it commands the body to action. From automatic actions like breathing, to more deliberate actions like writing an article, the mind is responsible for transforming thoughts and signals into action. Thus, it is an essential source of power, because in order to turn will into reality, the mind must transform ideas, decisions, and plans into action, as well as maintain regular bodily processes to keep one alive, healthy, and functional.

The mind is also responsible for intelligence and thinking skills, which are important for transforming will into reality. Goals, especially challenging ones, often require a plan of action. Good strategy is often essential to successfully achieving goals. The mind’s intelligence and thinking skills form plans of action and strategies to achieve goals. The mind then commands the body to execute these plans of actions and these strategies, turning will into reality.

Additionally, the creativity and imagination that the mind is responsible for are incredibly important in solving problems and creating solutions to achieve goals and turn will into reality. They assist the mental faculties of intelligence and thinking skills to form better plans of action and better strategies for attaining what one desires. Creativity and imagination often lead to new ways of thinking and new solutions that can achieve what no one has achieved before. Many inventions and innovations are a result of great creativity and imagination, and the inventors and the innovators of the world are the pioneers for the advancement of humanity.

There are other powerful faculties of the mind. Memory, for example, is needed to remember and retain information useful for coming up with ideas, making decisions, and forming plans, solutions, and strategies to turn will into reality. Memory is also needed to remember and retain knowledge and skills, another source of power, as well as to remember people, interactions, and events to master social influence, yet another source of power. To be able to remember is simply an essential part of living a fulfilling life, for one’s memory makes up who one is. Memories play a major role in forming a person. The mind is responsible for memory, as well as the other mental faculties.

The mind is responsible for learning and developing knowledge and skills and encoding them to its memory. Greater intelligence, thinking skills, and overall mental functioning increase the mind’s ability to perform this task. The mind is also responsible for applying the knowledge it possesses for practical purposes. Many skills are mental skills. Even physical skills rely on the mind to command the body into action, and to remember them. Mental ability can also help in learning and understanding different techniques for both mental and physical skills, as well as come up with new ones that are effective. Knowledge and skills, an entire source of power, relies on the mind.

The mind also plays a large role in managing social relationships and interactions. It is connected to the development and exercise of social skills. Language and communication, for example, are heavily dependent on the mind. Processing social cues, developing social intuition, making social decisions, and taking social actions are all connected to the mind. Thus, social influence, another source of power, is also heavily associated with the mind.

The mind is also responsible for analytical and deductive processes that are useful for analyzing and drawing conclusions from knowledge and information. Information is often useful and many times even necessary to achieve goals. The mind analyzes and deduces conclusions from relevant information to provide ideas on how to accomplish goals. Analysis and deduction are also skills which, as discussed above, rely heavily on the mind.

The mind is an incredibly important source of power. Just as one would train the body to boost its power, one should also train the mind to boost its power. Sharpening the mind and building its capabilities through mental exercises like reading, writing, calculating, creating, visualizing, socializing, communicating, experimenting, etc. will increase the mind’s power. These activities activate, exercise, and train the mind, improving its functioning, capability, and overall power. Learning and developing knowledge and skills also boosts the power of the mind, building up two sources of power at the same time. Since the mind is also heavily involved with socialization, socializing to increase social influence also builds up two sources of power at the same time, the mind and social influence. Social intelligence is an important form of intelligence!

Mental health is an essential element to the power of the mind. A person who has mental problems will have difficulty performing the tasks necessary to turn will into reality. Fear, anxiety, worry, depression, and other mental obstacles can prevent one from taking action. These obstacles can also lead to procrastination and can hamper one’s performance in whatever tasks one does undertake. Addiction problems and lack of self-control can cause one to veer away from working towards one’s goals and towards self-destructive behavior. Many people who have succumbed to addiction problems and lack the self-control to overcome them have destroyed their own health, finances, and relationships. Drug addiction alone, for example, can destroy all three of these things. Drug addiction can ravage one’s health, soak up money from one’s finances, and lead to bad behaviors that ruin one’s relationships. Addiction problems and lack of self-control also take away from the valuable time needed to accomplish what one wants in life, causing one to divert that time to satisfy one’s addictions and compulsive behavior instead, and resulting in a lack of focus towards achieving one’s goals. Other mental health problems, including mental disorders and illnesses, obviously also handicap people’s ability to act, think, and live properly and optimally, thereby preventing and hindering people from getting what they want in life, and thus reducing their power.

Mental health is important to maintain, improve, and exercise the overall power of the mind. A mind with mental health problems will have issues maintaining its capabilities. Many mental health problems lead to declines in mental ability. Furthermore, mental health problems can impair the improvement and exercise of the power of the mind.

The mind’s mental fortitude is such a strong source of power that throughout history military commanders have used psychological warfare to demoralize the enemy and weaken their will to fight. Commanders sow fear, disillusionment, and internal distrust in enemy forces to achieve military goals and to prevent the enemy from achieving their own goals. Soldiers and even entire armies have surrendered, deserted, or fought less effectively due to fear, disillusionment, and internal distrust, the products of psychological operations. Psychological warfare can also be used to induce mental health problems in the enemy. Drugs can be distributed and promoted (probably covertly) to the enemy to create drug addiction problems. Loud noises and harassment can be used to disturb the enemy’s sleep and undermine their mental (and physical) functioning through sleep deprivation. These efforts are taken because they undermine the enemy’s mental state to prevent them from operating at their best, making it easier to achieve military goals over the enemy. The enemy’s reduction in mental fortitude is a reduction in the enemy’s power, as they are less capable of achieving their own objectives.

Conversely, commanders who take action to maintain and boost their warriors’ morale, lead them through fear and uncertainty, and maintain and build trust and cohesion, often get the best out of their warriors. Such is the power of mental fortitude!

Of course, psychological warfare is also used to deceive, mislead, and misdirect, but this section focuses on how it is used to undermine the mental fortitude of the enemy to demonstrate the importance of mental fortitude as an element in the power of the mind. Deceiving, misleading, and misdirecting would be relevant to another source of power, knowledge and skills, as it causes the enemy to have false or incomplete knowledge which undermines their ability to apply what they know to achieve their will.

Psychological warfare can also be used for other purposes, and not always against an outright enemy. It can take the form of other subversive activities aimed at influencing the minds and behavior of target audiences. Propaganda campaigns, for example, can lead a target audience to change their minds and behavior in a way favorable to the propagandists. These influence campaigns are not limited to psychological warfare either. Politicians, businesses, marketers, activists, etc. all seek to influence the minds and behavior of target audiences to achieve their respective objectives. They can take on media campaigns, marketing campaigns, and other activities to influence their target audience. These activities demonstrate the power of the mind, because they aim to influence the mind, which in turn influences behavior. Changes in the mind can lead to changes in behavior, so influence and control over the minds of others means influence and control over the behavior of others. The ability to change the minds and behavior of others is incredibly powerful. Those with this ability can use it to achieve their objectives and turn their will into reality.

Likewise, people should be mindful of what they feed their minds. As explained in the previous paragraph, outside influences can have an effect on the mind and this effect can in turn have an effect on behavior. If one wants to achieve certain goals, one should feed the mind with influences that are conducive to achieving those goals. Feeding the mind with positive, inspiring, and energizing influences will invigorate one’s mental strength and enthusiasm. Feeding the mind with negative, demoralizing, and draining influences will weaken one’s mental strength and enthusiasm. Feeding the mind with relevant information, useful knowledge, and smart ways of thinking can also help in achieving one’s goals. Such information, knowledge, and ideas prime the mind to focus on achieving those goals as the mind is stimulated with the tools to do so. Feeding the mind with distractions and bad ways of thinking can impede one’s path to achieve one’s goals. They can cause one to stray away from those goals. Bad influences on the mind can also lead to addiction problems and other destructive behavior. Whether consciously or unconsciously, what one feeds the mind will impact the state of the mind, and this in turn will impact behavior. Feed the mind to invigorate mental strength and enthusiasm, which provide the fortitude and energy to transform will into reality. Avoid feeding the mind with influences that will do the opposite. Feed the mind with the tools it needs to achieve one’s goals, and they will also stimulate the mind to focus on those goals. Avoid feeding the mind with distractions and bad influences that can steer one away from those goals. The mind has a powerful effect on behavior. That is another element to the power of the mind.

It must be emphasized that the state of the body and the state of the mind are closely interlinked. As mentioned before, and it should be mentioned again for emphasis, body, mind, and spirit are one. These three elements of a being are interconnected. Signals from the body affect the mind, and signals from the mind affect the body (both affect and are affected by the spirit, which shall be discussed next). Physical strength and health is linked to mental strength and health. Personal experience should be enough to demonstrate to the reader that taking care of one’s body will also benefit the mind, and vice versa. Many studies have been done to confirm this connection as well, if it wasn’t already obvious enough. Exercise boosts mental well-being and reduces mental problems. A happy, calm, and stable mental state without stress boosts heart health, strengthens the immune system, and prevents the physical symptoms of stress such as headaches, muscle tension, chest pain, fatigue, sleep problems, etc. A productive exercise session can leave one feeling good, happy, and calm afterwards. An unhappy event can lead to streams of tears crying from one’s eyes. The body and mind function together.

7. Spirit

The spirit is the essence of a being that transcends the physical and even the mental. A person’s higher qualities, such as determination, strength of will, discipline, resilience, perseverance, and bravery all come from the spirit. Faith and belief, so essential to carrying through difficult times, also come from the spirit.

The spirit is an incredibly vital source of power. The spirit is where the will comes from. Power means nothing without the will, for power is the ability to transform will into reality. The will is the very prerequisite for power. The will is what motivates the acquisition and exercise of power, for power is sought after and applied to fulfill the will. Power means nothing to the spiritually dead, for they have no will to fulfill. But for the spiritually alive, power is the lifeblood that drives the transformation of will into reality. Those whose spirits are full of life are the ones who exercise power and impose their will onto the world!

The spirit is where the energy to take deliberate action comes from, which is needed to impose one’s will onto the world, for without taking action the world will impose its will on oneself.

Spiritual qualities such as determination, strength of will, discipline, resilience, perseverance, and bravery have a phenomenal impact on one’s life trajectory and one’s ability to accomplish what one wants. These are the qualities that allow one to push through the challenges, the obstacles, the setbacks, and any other problems standing in the way of the objective. These are the qualities that allow one to transform will into reality, the very qualities of power!

The spirit’s faith and belief are also important in pushing people to get through any difficulty in the way of what they desire in life. Without faith and belief, there is no reason for people to strive and struggle towards goals and dreams. They must believe it is possible in the first place and have faith that they can do it. They of course may not know if it is possible and achievable, knowing comes from the mind. But they can have faith and they can believe, which come from the spirit, and that makes all the difference between those who take action to impose their will on the world, and those who do not and instead suffer having the world impose its will on them.

Not all spirits are equal. The qualities mentioned in this article are qualities of powerful spirits, spirits that are sources of power. Weak spirits are not only not a source of power, but can even be a liability. Thus it is vitally important to develop and cultivate a powerful spirit.

One of the ways to develop a powerful spirit is through physical training. Physical training to strengthen the body and push the body’s limits and capabilities takes determination, strength of will, discipline, resilience, and perseverance. To consistently undergo such physical training over time will also train and strengthen the spirit with these powerful qualities. Moreover, since the body and spirit are linked, a more powerful spirit would naturally arise from a more powerful body.

Living life with purpose and going after what one desires even if it is scary or risky can also help develop a powerful spirit. In addition to developing many of the same qualities that one develops from physical training, taking action even when situations are scary or risky can help develop bravery, one of the most powerful virtues of them all. Many back down from what they want due to fear or uncertainty. A brave spirit has the power to overcome fear and uncertainty and accomplish what others are too cowardly to do.

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Now that the seven sources of power have been discussed, it is important to clarify that the length of writing for a source of power is not an indication of its importance. Some sources of power are more straightforward than others and require less explanation. Others are less straightforward than others and require more explanation.

These sources of power can also mutually benefit each other. Having more of one source can help in acquiring, developing, or cultivating more of another source. Power is the ability to achieve what one wants. Often, one wants more power, so one source of power may be used to both build other sources of power, as well as that source of power itself.

Now let’s discuss how power is applied.

Hard Power vs Soft Power

Power can be applied directly or it can be applied indirectly. The direct application of power is hard power. The indirect application of power is soft power. Some sources of power are more suited for hard power, while other sources of power are more suited for soft power.

Hard power is power directly applied through force, authority, or direct economic incentive. A commander who wishes to use military forces to defeat an enemy would mostly use hard power to do so. The force of military action would come from several sources of power: the wealth in weapons, equipment, and supplies of the commander’s forces; the knowledge and skills of the commander and the commander’s forces to wage war; the bodies of the commander and the commander’s forces themselves that are taking forceful action; the minds of the commander and the commander’s officers to process, analyze, and use relevant military intelligence and to plan, direct, and execute military action; and the spirit of these warriors to persevere through the fight until victory has been achieved. The authority to carry out military action will come from the social influence of the commander, and this authority is needed to command and coordinate the military forces to achieve victory. Direct economic incentive is also applied to pay for the services of the military forces, and this comes from the source of power that is wealth.

Six of the seven sources of power are used for the commander to apply hard power to defeat an enemy. Five were used for force, one for authority, and one that is used for force is also used for direct economic incentive.

Of course there is also an element of soft power for the commander to more effectively achieve victory. The beauty of the commander’s leadership, through the person and charisma of the commander, can have an inspiring effect on the warriors to give their best for their leader. This effect is also linked to social influence. Instead of the direct application of social influence through authority, it is instead an indirect application of social influence through charisma and inspiring leadership. The beauty of the uniforms or attire of the military forces can also inspire pride, solidarity, and group loyalty, and boost morale. In this case, beauty and social influence are sources of power used for soft power.

However, it is clear that more hard power is used than soft power for the commander to defeat the enemy, although both applications of power are important.

Soft power is power applied through attraction and persuasion. It is aptly exemplified by the archetype of the femme fatale, often found in art, literature, and history. The femme fatale is a woman who uses her feminine beauty, charm, and allure to enchant a man and seduce him into achieving her agenda, often at the risk, disadvantage, or downfall of the man. This power to attract and persuade a man to carry out her will draws on several sources of power: the beauty of the woman to attract the man, the social influence of the woman on the man, the knowledge and skills of seduction the woman has, the body of the woman that makes up her beauty and feminine allure, the mind of the woman to plan and implement her execution of this power, and the spirit of the woman to actually exercise this power. It should be added that the beauty of the woman is not necessarily only the beauty of her person, but also her clothes, accessories, perfume, cosmetics, and other possessions, which would mean that wealth in these possessions can also serve as a source of power. However, it is not necessary for a woman to wear clothes, carry accessories, apply perfume, put on cosmetics, or use other possessions to attract the man, so wealth in these possessions is not always a source of power for the femme fatale, although it usually is. The woman also doesn’t even have to own these possessions, as she can borrow them from her friends or family or anyone willing to lend them.

A famous example of the femme fatale is Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt. Although Cleopatra became Queen after her father, the Pharaoh of Egypt, died, she had to share power with her brother Ptolemy XIII, as well as contend with the demands of other siblings. Cleopatra and Ptolemy struggled for power against each other, resulting in a civil war. Ptolemy had the upper hand until the arrival of Julius Caesar and the Roman army. Cleopatra went to meet Caesar in person and had a relationship with him that produced a son, Caesarion. Cleopatra’s influence over Caesar lead him to help her gain power over her brother Ptolemy. Caesar defeated Ptolemy in the Battle of the Nile in 47 BC, where Ptolemy died, consolidating Cleopatra’s power. Years later, after Caesar died, Ancient Rome fell into civil war. Cleopatra began a relationship with Mark Antony, one of the most powerful Roman leaders during that time, and had children with him. Mark Antony helped her gain even more land and power in the eastern Mediterranean, even though this undermined his authority and popularity among the Romans. Mark Antony’s rival Octavian used this as propaganda accusing Antony of betraying Roman lands and power to his lover Cleopatra. Octavian defeated Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide following their defeat, but the story of Cleopatra still fascinates many as a prime example of the femme fatale, a woman who seduced two of the most powerful men of the time and led them to help her gain greater wealth and power. Octavian put an end to this and became known as the first Roman Emperor, adopting the title Augustus.

Hard power and soft power can both be effective in carrying out the will of whoever wields them. However, hard power is superior, as the wielder of hard power has greater control over it and its application. Soft power, on the other hand, depends more on the whims of others, and offers less control than hard power.

Of the sources of power, wealth is more predominantly suited for hard power, as it can be used as direct economic incentive as well as the means to apply force and to gain or maintain authority. Beauty is more predominantly suited for soft power, as it is used to attract and persuade. Social influence in the form of authority is more suited for hard power, while social influence in the form of relationships is more suited for soft power. Knowledge and skills are used for both, as greater knowledge or skill in whatever one does helps in both applications of power. The body, mind, and spirit are all necessary for hard power as well as soft power, as all three are needed to exercise power in the first place.³

Power Applied Personally vs Power Applied Through Others

Power can be applied personally and it can also be applied through others. Personal application of power is when one turns will into reality through one’s efforts alone, while applying power through others is when one turns will into reality with the participation of other people.

For example, a warrior who wishes to take an enemy position can personally attack by himself and defeat his enemies, which would be a personal application of power. The warrior can also gather his comrades to charge the enemy position together, which would be applying power through others, and would more likely succeed than by attacking without any assistance.

There is only so much one person can do without the participation of anyone else. To truly magnify one’s power, one must involve others. That way, the talents and capabilities of multiple people are pooled together to transform will into reality. Much more can be achieved in cohesive groups striving towards common goals than by single individuals.

That is why the power of social influence is so important, as it is responsible for the application of power through others. The other sources of power can help as well. Wealth can be used to purchase the services of others. Knowledge and skills can be used to lead others, work with others, and build relationships (social skills are important). Beauty can be used to attract and inspire others and boost social influence, while the body, mind, and spirit are all necessary for any exercise of power.

Freedom, Restraints on Power, and the Competitiveness of Life

I debated with myself whether to include freedom as a source of power. Certainly being more free to act to transform will into reality would mean greater power. If one is constrained from taking action in applying one’s power, one will have a reduced ability of turning will into reality, and thus one would be less powerful.

However, after some thought, I concluded that the relationship between freedom and power isn’t that it is a source of power, but it has to do with the clashing of powers. Without any restraints on power, one has total freedom to apply power and take action to achieve what one desires. When there are restraints on power, then one’s freedom to apply power and take action is curtailed. But these restraints don’t come out of nowhere. These restraints come from others with power. These other power players impose their will to limit one’s freedom. It is a clashing of powers between multiple power players.

For example, a businessman may have enough wealth to hire a personal army and purchase weapons and supplies. However, this power to do so may be restrained by government laws that prohibit such actions. The government may have military or law enforcement forces that could enforce these laws and stop the businessman from applying wealth as a source of power to build, arm, and supply a personal army. This restraint on the businessman’s power and freedom is a clashing of powers between the power of the government and the power of the businessman.

Take another example of a clashing of powers, one that does not involve restraints on freedom. A business may want to secure a deal with a particular company. Another business may also want to secure the same type of deal with that same company. The company only has the resources to form one deal with one of the businesses. Both businesses are free to act to attract and persuade that company to form the deal with them. Both businesses may also have enough to offer that company and fulfill its needs. However, the two businesses would have to compete with each other to secure that deal. There will be a clash of powers. The businesses can use their wealth, social influence, and other sources of power to win over the company, but ultimately it is the one that outcompetes the other that is able to turn its will into reality.

Life is competitive. Life is full of the clashing of powers. Many seek to impose their own wills on the world. Often these wills conflict and result in clashes. Those who are better able to utilize their power to outcompete others will win these clashes of power. That is the competitiveness of life.

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The nature of power has been discussed. To conclude, it is important to remember that power can only transform will into reality when it is exercised and applied. It can be carried out through hard power or soft power, it can be undertaken personally or through others, and it can experience clashes of power. Power can be wielded individually, and it can also be wielded together in groups. Ultimately, action is necessary to make things happen. The sources of power simply provide the resources to take action. Without action, these sources of power would sit idle and useless. Take action!

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1. I use the word “world” in the philosophical context. “World” in this context means the totality of reality i.e. the universe.
2. This article will consider the functions of the brain as the mental functions of the mind. The two terms “brain” and “mind” are associated with each other and often used interchangeably, but there is a slight difference in that the brain is a physical entity while the mind is a non-physical entity. There has been and still is debate among scientists and philosophers about the difference between the two terms. For the purpose of this article, the brain’s functions are the mind’s functions.
3. This article is about the sources of power for human beings. Of course, inanimate objects and phenomena that do not have bodies, minds, or spirits, such as storms, electricity, winds, and robots, can impose change on the world, but that does not come from their will, so is not considered as power in the context of this article.