Power

Philosophy Forums Philosophy
1

What is power?

Merriam Webster-Definition of power (Entry 1 of 3)
1a(1): ability to act or produce an effect
(2): ability to get extra-base hits
(3): capacity for being acted upon or undergoing an effect
b: legal or official authority, capacity, or right
2a: possession of control, authority, or influence over others
b: one having such power
specifically : a sovereign state
c: a controlling group : ESTABLISHMENT —often used in the phrase the powers that be
d:archaic : a force of armed men
e:chiefly dialectal : a large number or quantity
3a: physical might
b: mental or moral efficacy
c: political control or influence
4powers plural : an order of angels
— see CELESTIAL HIERARCHY
5a: the number of times as indicated by an exponent that a number occurs as a factor in a product
5 to the third power is 125
also : the product itself
8 is a power of 2
b: CARDINAL NUMBER sense 2
6a: a source or means of supplying energy
especially : ELECTRICITY
b: MOTIVE POWER
c: the time rate at which work is done or energy emitted or transferred
7: MAGNIFICATION sense 2b
8: SCOPE entry 1 sense 3
9: the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis in a statistical test when a particular alternative hypothesis happens to be true
power verb
powered; powering; powers
Definition of power (Entry 2 of 3)
transitive verb

1: to supply with power and especially motive power
2: to give impetus to
intransitive verb

1: to move about by means of motive power
2: to move with great speed or force
power adjective
Definition of power (Entry 3 of 3)
1: operated mechanically or electrically rather than manually
a car with power locks
power tools
2: of, relating to, or utilizing strength
plays a power game
also : POWERFUL sense 1
a power critic
3: of, relating to, or being a meal at which influential people discuss business or politics
a power lunch

2

There is:

Mass
Distance
Time
Force

Work = Force x Distance
Power = Work / Time
Energy = Power x Time
Torque = Force x Distance
RPM = Revolutions per Minute
HP = Torque x RPM / 5252

3

I categorize power as either personal or non-personal.

Non-personal power:

  1. Forces of nature
  2. The power of other people
  3. The metaphysical (squishy understanding at this point)

I think what I am about to describe is my understanding of a “different” type of personal power.

A breakfast at Denny’s, with my Dad, sparked my interest to discuss all understandings of power and explore it further.

As of late, I have “felt” very powerful, the source of which radiates from my central chest region up to the area behind my eyes.

This feeling is a calm radiating force, a significant dynamic, simmering unseen, that during my breakfast, I was able to project outwards like a radio signal to “hug” other people in my immediate vicinity, making them amenable to what I will coyly call charm rather than magic(even though this feeling is magical in and of itself), basically rendering a physical affect from a “non-physical” source by sheer “goodness or light”.

I am putting words in parenthesis, my attempt to gently alleviate the disbelief of the scientific minded who have no understanding of supernatural phenomena. For the folks who have an inkling, I am referring to my soul.

This bringing people, strangers and family alike, into alignment with you. That breakfast has been the only time I have ever been conscious of it in a supportive way. In the past, it usually happens when I am in the throws of a bi-polar episode. At those times, I am also greatly embraced but when I confront a person with the calm words of an opposed opinion, they(the religious) literally run from me in fear. Twilight zone stuff.

Anyone else here who can relate to anything I am saying? (Other than Ec)

I am asking about personal power(s).

4

You are describing your emotions, that of love, compassion, perception, etc, all in one pot of soup, and calling it “soul.”

Granted, all those emotions and thoughts exist in humans, but they already have separate names, and separate definitions to describe them. There is no “soup” that you call “soul.” There is your brain activity that is the mind. Your “soul” is your mind at work.

5

Kindly, based on my experiences, I disagree.

Usually I place mind/soul together, but when the inanimate or non-animating physical body parts(such as the brain) start to be added to the discussion, I need to be clearer so soul/mind or mind/soul(animating force or energy).

I have a very specific definition for soul/mind(which Plato accurately describes) based on my experiences that have dipped me into pools many don’t dally in.