Power and Control

For those who do want to learn:

Every relationship between any human beings begins with a struggle for power. Every single one. We can dislike this fact, yet it is not going away. The balance of power that is established at the beginning is next to impossible to change later on in the relationship.

So when somebody says to you, “yeah, there were a couple of times that were perfect for you to kiss me… but you didn’t”, they are trying to set up a relational model where you are an ignorant little school-child being gently scolded and instructed by a benign, condescending authority.

Letting this happen is an enormous mistake. (Unless you really enjoy being condescended to). Things will only go downhill after you allow one such comment go unchecked. So the only appropriate response that will shift the balance of power and put you in control is: “Oh. . . you wanted me to kiss you? I’m sorry, I just don’t see you that way. You are a nice person but. . . sorry.”

After that, there is a huge probability that the interlocutor will run after you like a lovesick puppy. And you will be able to decide whether you need this person in your life, and will be able to dictate the terms.

And most importantly: even if you are totally, completely, overpoweringly in love, do not allow the person to wrestle all of the control away from you. You will not be getting it back later. At the same time, don’t allow them to give all the control to you. That is a sign they want to exploit you.

8 thoughts on “Power and Control

  1. savage, wild, unforgiving! That’s life!

    “Little man, big man fade way.
    It’s all in the violence of the games we play
    is all in the love we give today”

    Like

  2. Some guy on YouTube has confused my very gentle pleading for feminism with “fascist rhetoric” (he misspells this). He demands instead that we return to nature forthwith and acquire some strong leadership.

    Like

    1. Why doesn’t he return to nature, go live in a forest, and try to assert his leadership among wolves and grizzly bears? I think that would be quite fun.

      By the way, this author whose book I reviewed in today’s post is Australian. The sexism is really really shocking. It’s like he is writing before anybody even invented the word feminism.

      Like

      1. Australia is a strange mix. On the one side, the so-called “working class” type of woman has a very strong tradition of strength and self-reliance. On the other side, there have always been some pretty crude tendencies. Are you familiar with Barry Humprhies?

        Like

  3. Some guy on YouTube has confused my very gentle pleading for feminism(muster)

    Too funny, you remind me of when my wife likes to call herself, sweet and gentle………not. 😉

    Like

Leave a reply to David Gendron Cancel reply