Chapter 3: Mindfulness Through Power
Why Power and Submission Are So Frightening
You fear power because it demands honesty. You fear submission because it demands trust. These states force you to face your true self, without masks or excuses. Power and submission are not opposites, as you were led to believe. They are mirrors that show who you are. And what could be scarier than seeing yourself without illusions?
The fear of power is rooted in responsibility. When you take control of a situation, you must take responsibility for it. This makes you vulnerable because your decisions become visible. You fear judgment, fear making mistakes, fear failing to meet expectations. Power reveals your strength, but with it also your weaknesses. It requires you to abandon the habit of shifting responsibility onto others and take it upon yourself.
Submission frightens in a different way. It breaks the illusion of complete control over your life. In a world where weakness is considered a vice, trust becomes an act of bravery. You fear that by trusting, you will lose yourself, become a victim. But in reality, submission is not weakness but liberation. It’s a way to let go of unnecessary tension, to give up some control, and to learn to live in harmony with yourself and others. It is not a renunciation of freedom but a new form of it – the freedom to trust.
Society has demonized these states for centuries. Power was portrayed as oppression, submission as humiliation. Why? Because conscious power makes you strong, and conscious submission makes you free. Someone who understands their boundaries becomes unpredictable for the system. Stereotypes about power and submission are an attempt to keep you within the bounds of fear so that you don’t realize they can be tools of self-discovery.
Scientific research confirms that power and submission are deeply connected to psychological resilience. Activation of the prefrontal cortex, associated with managing situations, helps reduce anxiety and build confidence. And trust, arising in the process of submission, reduces the activity of the amygdala, responsible for fear, and allows you to feel safe.
Your fears are rooted in childhood. When you were taught that power is evil because it oppresses, and submission is weakness because it makes you vulnerable. But true power is self-control, and submission is acceptance. They show you the boundaries of your personality and teach you how to interact with others. You are not afraid of them but of who you might become if you stop being afraid. Power and submission are not enemies but tools that can open the way to true freedom if you allow yourself to look in the mirror.