The experience of power is inherently intoxicating. When entrusted to an individual, it can create a dangerous, false sense of invincibility, allowing them to act in ways they previously couldn’t imagine. This false sense often masks what the scripture calls pride, the ancient precursor to a spectacular fall. The real nature of this overreach is not strength, but profound insecurity. Power has a propensity to corrupt the immature, displacing intrinsic self-worth with a facade of arrogant grandiosity. The historical and mythological record, from the initial fall precipitated by pride to contemporary events, confirms this predictable outcome.
The idea that one is more powerful than the people on whom such influence is inflicted is a delusion rooted in ignorance. As Socrates wisely stated, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” The person drunk on power flips this wisdom, desperately pretending to know everything while simultaneously demonstrating profound ignorance about their own heart and the needs of others.
How can we discern this intoxication? The signs are manifest: a pure disregard for human dignity and a blindness to the suffering of others. Such individuals crave praise and feel elated by a false sense of importance, yet they become furious when confronted with the truth. Their internal lack drives them to project an image of omniscience and superiority. The Bible warns against this fatal flaw: “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). This is a profound spiritual immaturity that calls us to understand, rather than merely condemn, the internal chaos that blinds them. We are thus called to show pity to those who lack such self-awareness, but never to condone them. But even better than pity is to pray for those who are blinded by grandiosity, be it the pope, the president, or the priest!
We are not called to mirror their judgment or their pride, but instead to hold up a mirror of self-reflection. Thomas Merton illuminates this path, noting, “Pride makes us artificial; humility makes us real.” If we see these symptoms of pride and contempt in those who lead and those who believe they are powerful, it must serve as a catalyst for examining our own hearts. True spiritual maturity is found not in inflicting power, but in the humility that sees God—and therefore dignity—in everyone we encounter. The greatest power we possess is the power of self-awareness.