Thursday, March 17, 2022

Power and Responsibility

I've noticed a trend in my last two blog post titles. Though it was purely coincidental, it'd be a shame not to continue the trend now noticed in order to apply the rule of three.

There is a saying often associated with Spider-man, "With great power, (comes / there must also come) great responsibility." In the character of Spider-man, the link between power and responsibility is explored, since he, gifted with power, must take on the responsibility of being a superhero, even to the detriment of all other aspects of his life.

Frankly, I'm not sure how healthy that is, or even, in the long run, how helpful that could be. It's not healthy to always put others' needs before one's own. There will be times when going to someone else's aid will put you in a position of needing aid. Further, it's not emotionally healthy. Excessive service can lead to burnout, even to the point of making someone less effective at giving service. Ultimately, it's important to know your limits, to take breaks, and to take care of yourself as well as others. A sword that has grown dull from overuse doesn't cut as well as a sword that spends time away from battle, being sharpened.

Those who have the power to help have the responsibility to help others, but they also have a more primary responsibility to help themselves. We need to take care of ourselves so that we can have the mental and physical energy we need to help others.

And for me, right now, this means that I have a responsibility to stop blogging for tonight and get some sleep.

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