Chasing power

Why do people want power? What’s the big attraction? I’ve never understood why someone would want what’s obviously a poisoned chalice.
 
You may think you can have a lot more control over your life, but in many ways you have less control. People will criticise you, abuse you, belittle you, want things from you. Your every move is scrutinised and judged. You may have responsibility for hundreds or even thousands of people and one fatal mistake can have awful consequences.
 
Who needs it? I’m more than content to have no power at all but simply to enjoy my life. I’m happy to be an anonymous powerless nobody.
 
But for some people power is their big goal in life, something they can’t get enough of, something that justifies any sort of mean or malicious behaviour – like  sabotaging anyone who’s their rival for power.
 
It’s sad to see people who have gained power wanting to hang on to it indefinitely. They become addicted to being flattered and fawned over, and the prospect of once again being nobody in particular terrifies them.
 
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

London

So….Jenny and I were in London for a week. We stayed at the Premier Inn County Hall, just across the river from the Houses of Parliament. A lovely hotel with friendly and welcoming staff – and huge breakfasts.
 
Some random impressions from the week:
 
·         London wasn’t as costly as we thought – except for the tiny flapjack costing £5 at the National Gallery
·         Every café and restaurant we went to asked us whether we had any allergies
·         I saw several men with painted fingernails
·         I revisited Watkins Bookshop, the first bookshop I worked in 53 years ago
·         We came across lots of school outings, some of them having a good look at the art galleries
·         We visited seven art galleries altogether (Tate Modern twice because it’s so huge)
·         We saw the Covid memorial wall opposite the Houses of Parliament with all its thousands of hearts remembering people who died
·         We met up with an old school friend of Jenny’s and her husband
 
Unfortunately I had a bit of back pain, which took the edge off my enjoyment a bit, but I was determined to keep to our art itinerary and not abandon anything. All in all a very worthwhile and stimulating week.

A short break

I'm off gallivanting. See you again soon.

Me in Edinburgh 2024

Too gullible

Why are people so ready to believe misinformation? Why aren’t people more critical of information that is obviously dubious or far-fetched or not confirmed by anyone?
 
Thousands of people were willing to believe that a certain woman police officer was responsible for arresting a man who was bleeding to death rather than asking for medical attention (the man was Henry Nowak in December 2025).

In fact the woman police officer had nothing whatever to do with Henry Nowak’s death and had actually retired from the police force 18 months earlier. But that didn’t stop gullible people from falsely identifying Christi Hill and turning her life upside down.
 
She has had to flee her home and move to a safe house elsewhere to escape the vicious abuse that has rained down on her since she was falsely accused. No doubt, as often happens, the misinformation will continue despite the denials and her life will be in constant turmoil.
 
Personally I check news items very carefully if they look in any way dodgy. If they don’t make sense, if they seem highly unlikely, and if there’s no other news source corroborating the story, I give them a wide berth and I don’t bother to comment.
 
There are enough true stories to assimilate without wasting energy on the bogus.

Pic: Christi Hill

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There was anti-immigrant rioting just outside Belfast city centre last night (Tuesday). It didn't affect us as we're about two miles away from the riot area. But it must have been terrifying for any immigrants.

A mellow fellow

The cliché (and the research) has it that people mellow as they get older, but I haven’t seen much evidence of it. I can think of many older people who if anything have become more acerbic.

Politicians especially can get less mellow and double down on their entrenched opinions rather than modify them. But lots of public figures are equally hard-line, not to mention one’s own elderly relatives who often become more vituperative rather than less.

Certainly my father got less mellow rather than more. He would fume and rage for days over all sorts of things. My mother on the other hand tended to be naturally mellow and take everything in her stride.
 
I think I’ve got mellower as I’ve aged. I don’t get so worked up over global events or neighbourhood disputes or difficult individuals as I used to. I tend to shrug my shoulders and leave others to make a fuss.
 
But I’ve always been somewhat mellow. Even when I was at school I never aligned myself with the boys who enjoyed making fun of their schoolmates or taunting the masters. I always felt for the victims and stayed well out of it.

The world could certainly do with a lot more mellowness and a lot less belligerence.