What does power do to a person?

The first thing that disappears from a person who has acquired power is “innocence.” If you want to know if power has any effect on a person, then compare their facial features, their attitude, and their behaviour. If they have acquired arrogance, their facial features have become corrosive, and their behaviour is abrasive, then we can say that their innocence is gone and power has corrupted them.

Is it possible to remain innocent despite coming to power? Maybe it is difficult. But one must try to remain as innocent as possible. One should not show signs of ego. That is when the person in power remains grounded and later becomes a great person, and maybe a saint.

“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” What does “power corrupts” mean? It does not merely mean corruption in terms of money. It means power not only takes away the innocence that we mentioned above but also the human being in you: your simplicity, the craving for smaller things, the appreciation for acquiring simpler things, the smiles that are beautiful, the happiness of being with friends, the original laughter, appreciating your failures, having lots of personal time, meeting people with true purposes, and so on.

But absolute power corrupts absolutely. This has a much larger meaning. You begin to feel that you are no less than a God or demi-god. Absolute power makes you paranoid. It makes you feel insecure. It gives you no peace and comfort. You are always anxious. You become unsure about yourself. You completely lose your originality. You become someone else. You wish you never had such absolute power.

8th October 2026