absolute power corrupts absolutely

[Aliquid]

So, imagine you were suddenly given super-powers. Anything you want, super strength, nigh invulnerability, mind control... you name it.

There are no other super powers out there, no super villans... everyone else in the world is just normal like they are today.

How long until the power goes to your head and you become corrupt?

Would you try to be a super-hero? A world dictator? Do you think you could avoid the temptations of corruption?

— edit —
Ok one exception. You can’t have a super power that stops you from being corrupted. Otherwise that’s the obvious answer.

[Tvtyrant]

I don't even think I would try to stop myself, honestly. If I was say Superman my first act would be to begin carving up outer space, pushing ships full of people I like to their new space colonies. The ships would be paid for by delivery of people I don't particularly like to different space colonies.

[Mystic Muse]

Step one: Force myself to become omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent simultaneously (or in the opposite of that order).
Step 2:????
Step 3: profit.

Because the easiest way to prevent yourself going mad with power, is making it so you won't do so in the first place.

[Comrade]

Well, I always did imagine (whenever this question comes up, I don't just sit around thinking 'gee, I'd better have a superpower in mind in case a magic genie offers me one or something') I'd opt for omnilingualism over any other superpower if I had the chance. Not much you can corrupt that with. I suppose the worst you could do is pretend you don't speak a given language and snoop on folks' conversations, but you can do that without the superpower, too. If anything I'd just use it to try and preserve moribund languages.

[Aliquid]

Step one: Force myself to become omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent simultaneously (or in the opposite of that order).
Step 2:????
Step 3: profit.

Because the easiest way to prevent yourself going mad with power, is making it so you won't do so in the first place.

yeah I thought of that right after I posted... I’m going to change the original post...

[Frozen_Feet]

I've done this thought experiment enough times that I know I'll be back to lazing in my apartment. Right after I've erased a certain rogue nation off the map.

After that, I can't say. It depends on how fast people figure it was me and how much they insist on pestering me about it.

[Mystic Muse]

— edit —
Ok one exception. You can’t have a super power that stops you from being corruptible. Otherwise that’s the obvious answer.

The ability to heal any disease, illness, affliction wound, ETC. No matter how bad.

If I could get nigh-invulnerability/immunity to pain so I can't be assassinated, or tortured, and can effectively help people in extremely dangerous places, even better.

[Liquor Box]

It depends what you mean by corrupt. Is personally profiting from your superpower corrupt (eg, by charging for special services)? Usually, the word implies dishonesty, but I think that's is not what you mean?

[Florian]

Do you think you could avoid the temptations of corruption?

For a while. Only out of fear to test out the limits of it. Even with full Superman powers, I don't know how long it would take me to really test if the whole being bullet proof thing works or whether being nuked is survivable or not. After that phase passed? Welcome your new overlord!

[Tvtyrant]

It depends what you mean by corrupt. Is personally profiting from your superpower corrupt (eg, by charging for special services)? Usually, the word implies dishonesty, but I think that's is not what you mean?

I think here they mean how long until a real superhero begins changing the status quo? In cape stories they aren't allowed to make a difference in the world, because it would disrupt the viewers suspension of disbelief. So superheroes always uphold the status quo, acting like demi-god beat cops.

I take corruption here to mean "subverting the status quo," like overthrowing despots, ending poverty, etc.

[hamishspence]

I figured this was the OP's trope for "superpowers & corruption":

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...rnaturalPowers

[Aliquid]

I think here they mean how long until a real superhero begins changing the status quo? In cape stories they aren't allowed to make a difference in the world, because it would disrupt the viewers suspension of disbelief. So superheroes always uphold the status quo, acting like demi-god beat cops.

I take corruption here to mean "subverting the status quo," like overthrowing despots, ending poverty, etc.

I wouldn’t call that corrupted.

Subvert the status quo all you want. Be a benevolent dictator, end all wars... etc. That isn’t corrupt.

Corrupt is when you become one of the bad guys. When you become mad with power.

Making the world a better place is good. Profiting and not helping is ok... I guess. Making anyone who disagrees with you suffer, then you are corrupt.

I figured this was the OP's trope for "superpowers & corruption":

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...rnaturalPowers

The quote that is in the title of the thread is well over 100 years old... way older than super heroes. But that link is a good example of what I would mean by becoming corrupt.

[hamishspence]

Subvert the status quo all you want. Be a benevolent dictator, end all wars... etc. That isn’t corrupt.

Enforcing one's "way" and one's hatred of war upon others might cross the line into tyranny though:

C.S. Lewis:

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be "cured" against one's will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.”

[Frozen_Feet]

I don't remember where the exact quote of "absolute power corrupts absolutely", but one memorable usage of it was Christopher Lee discussing Sauron and the One Ring in an interview.

In that context, the meaning of "corruption" was fairly obvious: "how long untill you decide the little people don't matter and start treating the world as your personal sandbox?"

[hamishspence]

I don't remember where the exact quote of "absolute power corrupts absolutely", but one memorable usage of it was Christopher Lee discussing Sauron and the One Ring in an interview.

A bit of history on the quote, and slightly older, slightly different formulations of it:

https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/...bsolutely.html

[Tvtyrant]

I wouldn’t call that corrupted.

Subvert the status quo all you want. Be a benevolent dictator, end all wars... etc. That isn’t corrupt.

Corrupt is when you become one of the bad guys. When you become mad with power.

Making the world a better place is good. Profiting and not helping is ok... I guess. Making anyone who disagrees with you suffer, then you are corrupt.


The quote that is in the title of the thread is well over 100 years old... way older than super heroes. But that link is a good example of what I would mean by becoming corrupt.

Everyone is out to make the world a better place, it is the definitions of better that become problematic.

Unlimited power means unlimited ability to get what you want, which is probably not what a substantial number of other people want. If only 1% of people disagree with you, 800,000,000 do.

[hamishspence]

Everyone is out to make the world a better place, it is the definitions of better that become problematic.

Unlimited power means unlimited ability to get what you want, which is probably not what a substantial number of other people want. If only 1% of people disagree with you, 800,000,000 do.

That figure is 1 order of magnitude too high - it's 80 million, not 800 million, in a world with 8 billion people.

Still, the basic point is sound.

I'd probably, at least for a while, try not to change stuff, or enforce my will on anyone else - my interest would be more exploring. See what's at the bottom of the ocean, or (if at the high end of the Superman power scale) on the other side of the universe.

[Tvtyrant]

That figure is 1 order of magnitude too high - it's 80 million, not 800 million, in a world with 8 billion people.

Still, the basic point is sound.

I'd probably, at least for a while, try not to change stuff, or enforce my will on anyone else - my interest would be more exploring. See what's at the bottom of the ocean, or (if at the high end of the Superman power scale) on the other side of the universe.

I was referring, of course, to the colossal sentient mouse demographic and not simply adding 1 too many zeroes :P

Exploration would be awesome, as would be colonization and ensuring no asteroids blow up Earth for a while.

[2D8HP]

So, imagine you were suddenly given super-powers. Anything you want.....

.....How long until the power goes to your head and you become corrupt?.

Me?

You could counts the seconds on your fingers.

[Florian]

Everyone is out to make the world a better place, it is the definitions of better that become problematic.

The fun thing with absolute power is that you don't have to care about such concepts like free will and human rights and dignity. Oh boy, if I had the power to force my vision of what is good and necessary on the world, mete out punishment as I see fit... society would probably break.

[Brother Oni]

Well, I always did imagine (whenever this question comes up, I don't just sit around thinking 'gee, I'd better have a superpower in mind in case a magic genie offers me one or something') I'd opt for omnilingualism over any other superpower if I had the chance. Not much you can corrupt that with. I suppose the worst you could do is pretend you don't speak a given language and snoop on folks' conversations, but you can do that without the superpower, too. If anything I'd just use it to try and preserve moribund languages.

Depends on whether your ability can decipher an encrypted message. If it can, there's a lot you can do with otherwise private information and various government agencies will take an extremely in-depth interest in your personal well being.

[2D8HP]

"Well we remember the dark day when every radio station played Journey to the Center of the Mind at the same time, and our televisions ran The Lord of the Rings with the John Boorman script.

Thousands noted that the great universities were emptied of their books, somehow transferred to public libraries, but millions awoke to find their automobiles gone, replaced with bicycles made in England, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Some welcomed the changes, but most of us intend to destroy the monster who's done this...."


-A note found in a smoking ruin

"Strong and peaceful, wise and brave,
Fighting the fight for the whole world to save,
We the people will ceaselessly strive
To keep our great revolution alive!
Unfurl the banners! Look at the screen!
Never before has such glory been seen!
Every deed, every thought, 'tis for thee!"

[Potato_Priest]

Well, my superpower choice is always teleportation, and I don't think it would corrupt me until someone tried hard to get in my way and I could outcompete them with my teleportation abilities, at which point I'd probably think what's the harm in using my power to help myself? It's a dog eat dog world. From my perspective now, I don't think I'd use it to kill people unless they were trying to do the same to me or someone I cared about, but I would almost certainly use it to trespass and bypass crowds and lines, as well as any and all commutes.

I might take to wearing a bandana and sunglasses so that I could go wherever I liked when I liked without being recognized. Conspicuous? Certainly. Catchable? Not really.

[BWR]

I give it a year tops before I go all Injustice Superman on the world. I'd start out trying to be good and all, but quickly do worse and worse stuff against the horrible people in the world and soon start forcing everyone else to follow my ideas of what's good for people. Obviously, I'm convinced of my rightness and righteousness, and for a lot of people life would get better. It would come at the cost of freedom, fear and loss of free will for a lot of people, though.

[Aedilred]

So, imagine you were suddenly given super-powers. Anything you want, super strength, nigh invulnerability, mind control... you name it.

There are no other super powers out there, no super villans... everyone else in the world is just normal like they are today.

How long until the power goes to your head and you become corrupt?

Would you try to be a super-hero? A world dictator? Do you think you could avoid the temptations of corruption?

— edit —
Ok one exception. You can’t have a super power that stops you from being corrupted. Otherwise that’s the obvious answer.

Depends how you define "corrupt", I guess. It's a wonderfully non-specific term that can mean almost whatever the user wants it to mean, at this point.

If you mean "how long before I start using the powers for personal benefit and/or entertainment?" then almost certainly no time whatsoever. If nothing else, since it's easier to get things done inside the system than without it, my first actions would probably be to advance my own position. And because I like doing nice things for the people I love, my friends and family would also see some benefit from it.

Before I even did that I'd probably mess about with my powers a bit just to check how they worked, and that would largely entail doing things "for fun".

That aside, however, I would generally be endeavouring to use my powers for good or at worst my own benefit. I'd be trying to change the world for the better and if in order to do that I have to give myself some collateral benefits or even just feel I deserve some reward for that, I'm not going to feel guilty about it even in abstraction.

But if the question is "how long before I turn to evil?" then that's much more variable. It would probably happen gradually in response to external stimuli: I'd reach for extreme measures to solve extreme problems, and then the extreme measures would become normalised, and eventually I'd find I stopped drawing a moral distinction. That's the sort of thing that tends to happen to good people given too much power even of the mundane variety and I have no reason to suppose I'm likely to fare any better in that regard.

Of course the only way to test it would be to put myself in that situation. It's very difficult to judge how you'd react to circumstances you've never experienced.

[khadgar567]

Depends on what power i get like global telepathy faster than you can snap your fingers. Basic superman package nah not worth to become corrupted since you are basicly immortal in regular earth so some training to manage the power then return to my daily life. On mystical arts front takes bit of time but when i know how my spells works its same as first one. if its shape shifting like mystique then no need to getting corrupt just enjoy the benefits.

[Vizzerdrix]

I cluld hold off long enough to learn how to be a dictator. A few years to a decade. If I didnt have a basic plan by then, Id obtain people who could get what I wanted done done. In the meantime, Id pick a fight with one of the worlds super powers. Maybe drop things on them from orbit or something just for kicks.

[Telonius]

The question assumes I'm not already corrupt...?

[JeenLeen]

A power that effectively allowed you to ignore the consequences of your actions would be rather dangerous, corruption-wise.

Some spoilers from Worm

Spoiler

Show

Coil's power is to have two realities running at the same time, where he takes different actions, and (at any chosen moment) collapse one reality and make the other one his true reality. It's implied that, if he dies, that collapses that reality and he continues on fine.

It's shown that he indulges in sadistic tendencies, like torturing an underling, in his other reality when he's sure he will collapse it but has some time to spare.

Something like that coupled with superstrength, flight, mind control, etc. would be rather tricky. Even better if you had time travel and could re-set to try again, should concurrent realities both end in unpleasant outcomes.

Be great for being a superhero, too, though. If any human causalities, just reset and try again.

---
Directly to the OP, not sure for myself, but I definitely don't think ultimate power ultimately corrupts. It likely to, yeah, but not definitely. Probably easier if you aren't immortal, though, since I reckon it's hard to retain sanity after a few centuries/millennia.

[Aliquid]

The question assumes I'm not already corrupt...?

Hmm, so the saying "absolute power corrupts absolutely" it not true... because you can't corrupt a nefarious individual.

Kind of like "An object at rest can not be stopped!"

Depends how you define "corrupt", I guess. It's a wonderfully non-specific term that can mean almost whatever the user wants it to mean, at this point.

It is a concept that is hundreds of years old. Lord Acton coined the phrase in the late 1800s. But the idea was much older, and was applied to monarchs. The basic idea was that you can't have a benevolent King/queen/monarch, because their absolute power eventually corrupts them.

Those with power often do not have other's best interests in mind. They are primarily focused on their own benefits, and they may abuse their power to help themselves at the cost of others. Or in other words, as a person’s power increases, their sense of morality decreases.