Power on the Coconut Tree

Here's an interesting metaphor for power, which my Political Science Professor told me:

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In Kerala, there is a coconut extract called toddy, which gives you a high when you drink it. Toddy tappers climb on top of coconut trees and collect toddy from pots which have been previously fixed up there. Quite often one finds these poor people, getting drunk on toddy and enjoying the night with dancing and merry-making. Sometimes, in their drunkenness some of them climb one of those tall coconut trees. Once they are up the tree, they drink whatever toddy is on the tree and get even more drunk. At that moment they would be feeling real good and 'on top of the world'. But soon they get confused and frightened because of their confusion. This confusion stems from their inability to come down from the tree owing to their drunken state. They eventually let go of their hold on the coconut tree and fall down and either die or are seriously injured.

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Same thing with power. When you first get the feel of power, you are extremely attracted to it. Then when you start having some power, you start wanting more. Then when you have more power, the quest still is for more power. Eventually that very want would destroy you.

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Power as it is!!!

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Thanks, Mahesh sir.

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Tagged on Technorati as Catch-22, Neil Stephen Padayatty, Neil Padayatty, Padayatty, Power, Political Science, Metaphor, Kerala, Toddy.