Energy in Motion – interpersonally and politically
As a social scientist who has spent decades exploring multi-layered interpersonal nuances, and, as a technical salesperson who once designed hundreds of photovoltaic (solar) arrays and installed a few, I have a few things to say about Power. But at its most basic, Power is Energy in motion. Interpersonal power, political power, technical power, it is all energy in motion.
Technically power is understood as potential for work over a specific period of time, but there is motion in an idle kilowatt or horsepower at rest. The interpersonal understanding of power is often understood as influence over time and, unlike technical power, gets quite convoluted when considered alongside myriad points along socialized identities such as education, ability, race, gender, and class.
This week I read a peace piece (which is the only form of news I will read) by Roya Shariat, “You can’t say that, I’m Iranian” in which personal experience of calling out a general in the U.S. military for saying that a regime change in Iran was his New Year’s resolution, and important reflections about the current power vacuum in Iran created by the murder of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, are offered. https://wearethemeteor.com/you-cant-say-that-im-iranian/
Such a power vacuum, or political black hole, is often seen by lascivious U.S. imperialists as a perfect extractive get-rich-quick scheme to salivate over.
Yet such schemes at the local and global level are routinely called “development opportunities.” So much so that few of us actually question the nature of development and how normalized the destruction of culture, community, and climate has become. The most succinct way to understand such a power vacuum is through what Naomi Klein explains as disaster capitalism. And the most energy efficient explanation of disaster capitalism is this: oil.
In Chokepoints: American power in the age of economic warfare, Ed Fishman notes that the U.S. waged an economic war on Iran in 2011-2012 locking up in escrow $100 billion of Iran’s oil revenues as a power play. What isn’t explained in this book is the reason for the numerous “Iran Hawks” in Congress then, and now.
I know nothing about real black holes, but I do know what it feels like when someone sucks all the energy out of a space—vacuuming up all the available attention in a semi-conscious power grab. The POTUS is a supreme vacuumer. The key with anyone like this is to interrupt the cycle, break the flow, unplug, and maybe reflect on locally generated and distributed power informed by nature.
Fossil fuels have made us fossil fools.
While just one gallon of oil is roughly 56 times more powerful than a horse and a horse is roughly 10 times more powerful than a man, Wind and Sun and Water are infinitely powerful and regenerative, politically unexploitable. Work over time. The elements have been the source of power for billions of years, while we humans continue to grapple with what power is inside and outside of our bodies.
We are all constantly navigating power, or energy in motion. On the micro level, in ourselves and in every relationship we have, there are power dynamics at play. Choices we make consciously and unconsciously.
The arena with the greatest potential for safety in navigating power dynamics is in our families where vested interests kindle and have the readily available bonds, for countless streams of compassion, grace, and forgiveness. Some cultural conditioning leads us to normalize tensions in the family and not support the practice of resolving conflicts however small. These tensions can provide us with the most accessible “development opportunities” in life.
Family—both chosen and biological—is our grounding, our perpetual training ground for navigating power in life.
We learn how to love and how not to love, and we get to practice accountability over and over through family when we actively navigate power dynamics together. Identifying and sharing needs and hopes. There is so much opportunity for exploring and expanding power, self empowerment, and co-generation through family.
But who among us doesn’t know the pain and frustration of not being able to communicate well with a parent or sibling, our closest authority figure? This comes from the perception that a relationship “regime” change is not possible; that we don’t have enough power or E-motional strength to bring about the change we desire.
Interpersonal power dynamics flow along a continuum (or conduit) of subtle and often imperceptible energies at one end of the spectrum, and gross and often impenetrable energies at the other. As with any energy work, one must use caution and care, attentive to conditions that could lead things to heat or amp up, cause resistance, and trip up or short-circuit lines of communication.
On the macro level, there are very similar subtle and gross power dynamics, but the sense of access to power can feel very different for the majority of us.
Many of us allowing ourselves to feel the impacts of gross power plays like U.S. air strikes against Iran, Venezuela, Syria, Nigeria, … are wringing our hands in powerlessness while beautiful people schools and hospitals are bombed, innocent women and children are murdered, vibrant ecosystems are destroyed, and violence we never have and never would consent to is perpetrated in our name.
The macro is the micro and the micro is the macro. Yin and Yang. Particles have motion and waves have parts. Carrying capacity is improved through caring capacity.
As we deepen, fortify, nourish, replenish, sustain, and in every way care about our micro interpersonal relationships, we effect positive macro change. We ionize emotional healing in and among our bodies of water as energy in motion.
If we are fed up with (insert family member’s name) to the point of chronic negativity, it’s time for a reset; time to break the cycle and break bread one to one and let a conversation flow of its own accord. See where it goes. Anywhere is better than a stagnant cesspool of blame or contempt. And if and when we can say we are once again deeply in love with (insert family member’s name), we know we are once again positively charged.
This is the work y’all.
Representative Ro Khanna and Representative Thomas Massie have forced a War Powers Resolution vote. We can all also set powers resolutions.
We can all choose to not accept unhealthy power dynamics in any of our relationships. No it is not easy, nor should it be. If someone and something truly matters, we commit to the work to change ourselves.
We can seek and find the grace to break the cycles of negativity. We can go the well within for guidance. We can seek and find inner peace through the breath, InnerFortune through our actions, and we can be the change we seek in moments of tension and trouble by stating our wants and needs and willingness to talk and navigate power together.
For an important and incredibly accessible resource for navigating power, please explore this social location power mapping wheel.
And, a good open question to ponder: To what extent is the concept of power culturally based?
Thank you for reading! Please consider sharing this post.
