Some power differences are institutionalized, formal and official. The police, judges, teachers, parents, officials, administrators and bosses are given some powers over the rest of us in limited contexts such as courtroom, classroom, public office or workplace. Many a times when power is institutionalized, dominant people abuse their power when they rely on threats to intimidate others and stifle input.
I had a very mean lady boss, who just could not digest the fact that I was better than her at work. She always tried to put me down and emotionally torture me with taunts and silent treatment. Looking at it now, I realize how stressful I used to be in that period. Going to office would be like walking in a dessert. When it started getting too much, I just left that job. Based on my experience, it is extremely frustrating to work in an imbalanced power relationship. I think it goes the same in love relationship as well. Whenever one partner is dominating the other, that relationship does not nurture on love and trust. Instead of creating negative repercussions in a love relationship with the power imbalance, there has to be mutual respect and dignity to balance power.
I think we can all relate to your post and have been in the situation where we had to work with a person who simply abused their power. In my eyes a person in power shouldn’t have to assert their dominance in order to be heard. A leader should have the respect of their co-workers, resulting in compliance from employees. Ultimately, if power is abused by a boss I feel like it’s a direct result of their own insecurities. There is more effective ways to manage people than to harass them at work. Also, the balance of power in a relationship is a good point you made. As you stated, “mutual respect and dignity” are essential in having a balance of power in a relationship because no one wants to feel inferior to their partner.
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