Power Mode

The Power Mode

BY PHILLIP WITTMEYER

The Cardinal Expression Mode is Power. People in this Mode behave as if they "have their act together". They are confident and self-assured. They behave as if they are capable and proficient. They proceed through life with effectiveness and strength. They seem to be certain of what they are doing. One sure sign of people in this Mode is that, even when they don't know exactly what they are doing, they will bluff their way through the situation. Another giveaway is that there is a certain presence about people in this Mode that can be felt by others: in a group gathering, they tend to control what is going on. The reason for this is that they expect others to conform to them. They are the type who "will not take no for an answer" — they insist on things going their way.

People in this Mode enjoy risk-taking — "nothing ventured, nothing gained" is a good motto here. One major theme of their life is the denial or overcoming of fear. They are nervy and gutsy. They fear very little, and they are likely to try to get others to be fearless. Often they live on the edge of disaster. They like to play the game of life at the edge. In fact, if they are not facing some dreadful challenge, they are bored. They may not recognize danger till it is right upon them, and even then it rarely frightens them because of their self-confidence. This makes them reckless, foolhardy thrill-seekers at times, in the extreme cases.

The way people in the Power Mode drive an automobile is very instructive about the nature of this Mode. They drive down the road as if they owned the road. They expect others to yield to them, so they butt right in to the flow of traffic. They may pay little attention to what is happening because of their conviction that whatever happens, they can handle it. They will let the car drift off course and make the correction only when necessary to avoid disaster. They pass other automobiles with little margin of safety. They take chances in driving, and in every other avenue of life. They don't have to be sure of the situation, they only have to be sure of themselves, and that they usually are. They feel secure within themselves, so they perceive the world as a safe place.

The Positive Pole is +Authority, and people in this Pole act with authority — they give the appearance that they know what they are doing. Their behavior is decisive because they do not break their actions down into discrete steps like people in the Caution Mode. They act like competent experts even when they are not. Their approach to situations is bold and daring. They show courage in almost every circumstance, and this gives them a sense of adventure in life. They have the self-confidence to believe they can "wrest a victory from the jaws of defeat" at any time.

In the Negative Pole of -Oppression, people tend to intimidate others in order to force their own way. They are overbearing: they will use threats and browbeating to effect their purposes. They will come on strong in an obnoxious way. They do not take criticism at all well. If their authority should be questioned, they becomes unreasonable and arbitrary — they do not take time to measure the effect of their actions. They overrides the will of others, imposing their will on them. People around them find them suffocating. In a mild case they are manipulative and heavy-handed in their treatment of others and of their realm. In an extreme case, they can seem like terrorists.

The fear that drives -Oppression is the fear that they cannot conduct themselves with confidence in a world that will not conform to their image of it. The way to overcome this is to consider and apply the Positive Pole of the Caution Mode, which is +Deliberation. Be careful and accurate in behavior, considering each step, each detail. This will give them the ability to manipulate the world correctly and with confidence.

The Power Mode is the complement of the Caution Mode. The two are the opposite of each other. Each reveals what the other is not. Unlike a person in Caution who takes each step with care, people in Power run boldly through life with little precision. Whereas people in Power are intimidating, people in Caution are intimidated. People in Power are not deliberate and careful in what they do, so they may be clumsy and crude in situations that require finesse. People in Caution also lack grace and smoothness at times because they are so hesitant in their behavior.

There are advantages and disadvantages to every Goal, depending on the situation. The advantage of this Goal is that, since people in it do not often hesitate, they do not let opportunities slip by. The disadvantage is that they do not change their course in situations where others would see that they are going astray, and so they get themselves and others into bigger difficulties than they might otherwise. This stretches the people in this Mode, but inconveniences others.

The Power Mode is the counterpart of the Acceptance Goal. People in Acceptance conform themselves to others and the environment, whereas people in Power expect others and the environment to conform to them. In both instances, there is synthesis.

Next page | Perseverance Mode

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Phil Wittmeyer is a longtime Michael student and scholar of the teachings. He can be reached at: wittmeyer@hotmail.com