The Power Pyramid

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This pyramid encompasses our lives on Earth.

All of our needs are represented as a desire for one of these three things.

To fulfill that desire, our ambition leads us to climb the Power Pyramid.

When we fail to meet those needs, we fall right back where we started.

Then the cycle repeats itself.

Here's the catch though: It's a mirage.

The whole pyramid is a big carrot on a stick.

Before we can unpack this further, we first need to understand how this pyramid was constructed.

Prosperity represents the foundation of our pyramid.

All effort starts here as this encompasses baseline human needs. It consists not only of things like what we eat, drink, and wear but also what secures and protects those necessities.

This layer of the pyramid is where the concept of "delayed gratification" comes from. By storing up and multiplying one's prosperity, it becomes a hedge against future loss and a potential springboard to climbing the ladder of ambition to pleasure and beyond.

The pyramid's second layer is Pleasure.

This represents the need for gratifying our bodies and minds through behavior, and generally avoiding anything not immediately enjoyable.

The reason pleasure is the second layer on the pyramid is practical. Not many people are concerned with pleasure if they're fighting for survival or are worried about circumstances that could put them back in that state.

If you're in a position to pursue pleasure, you usually have prosperity already.

A notable exception to this can happen in cases where someone is neuro-divergent or has a dopamine imbalance, especially one caused by addiction. These can lead to the pursuit of pleasure at the detriment of a minimum level of prosperity.

As the pyramid's namesake, Power sits at the top.

It is the direct or indirect need to control via action or perception.

The easiest methods to achieve greater levels of power in modern society are having an abundance of prosperity (wealth) directly, or using an abundance of pleasure (fame/attractiveness) to gain prosperity that then can be used to purchase power.

As we've seen, generally each level of the pyramid receives the benefits of those beneath it, so power is ultimately the most desirable location at the top of the pyramid.

Most people will not make it to the top of the pyramid during life.

And even for those that do...

Attaining Power isn't enough.

Despite being presented by society as the ultimate destination, the few who make it to the top often find there's nothing left to do there. When the vehicle those individuals used to achieve that power, such as fame or business savvy, loses its challenge, there's nowhere left to go.

At this point, comparison among those at the top becomes the only game worth playing, so these individuals attempt to distinguish themselves by continually inventing new mountains to conquer.

This is why every tech billionaire seemed to wake up simultaneously and start space exploration companies. It's just the newest fad among the ultra-elite to show who carries the most power, a practice some are more subtle about than others.

The Power Pyramid is a giant carrot on a stick.

This is my original Canva mockup for the Power Pyramid concept from a year ago.

Looking past the terrible color choices and free clip-art assets, do you see what is on the top of the pyramid?

A gravestone with a crown.

Why?

The words written there will be the only things we actually cared about:

• Doting Grandparent

• Loving Parent

• Devoted Spouse

• Caring Friend

These are the words I want on mine. And I'd hazard a guess that yours are similar.

The Power Pyramid has lied to us.

Its aim has always been to steal our time by tricking us into working toward goals that don't matter.

Relationships matter, more than anything else.

So I'm not taking the bait.

I'm not looking up at the carrot on the stick.

I’m looking around to better love those near me so they can be free from the lie of the pyramid too.

Until next time,

Addison.

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