We often think of power as something wielded by external forces—governments, corporations, or other large institutions. But there is a far more insidious form of power at play: the power we unknowingly give away, and the subtle ways we contribute to disempowering those around us. These mechanisms of self-inflicted disempowerment stem from psychological and social factors that perpetuate cycles of dysfunction. To understand these dynamics, we will draw on insights from the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF), which helps us see “dysfunction” not as an inherent flaw, but as an understandable set of responses to the pervasive operation of power and the threats it poses.
A chilling illustration of how easily situational power can corrupt and lead to disempowerment is the Stanford Prison Experiment. In 1971, Philip Zimbardo’s study at Stanford University, intended to last two weeks, was abruptly halted after only six days. Randomly assigned roles of prisoners and guards quickly escalated into psychological torture by the guards, which many prisoners passively accepted, even harassing fellow inmates at the guards’ behest. The experiment even affected Zimbardo himself, who, as the superintendent, permitted the abuse to continue. This demonstrates how readily individuals can adopt and internalise destructive roles, revealing that dysfunction is not solely the product of flawed individuals, but a systemic outcome of the dynamics between people and the power structures they inhabit. It highlights the ease with which we can disempower both ourselves and others, often unconsciously.
This principle is also revealed in the Stanley Milgram experiment, which provided a chilling demonstration of how ordinary people can become complicit in harm under the influence of an authority figure. In the 1960s, a study at Yale University instructed participants to administer what they believed were increasingly painful and life-threatening electric shocks to a “learner.” A striking majority of participants continued to obey the experimenter’s commands, administering the maximum shock. Milgram’s work introduced the concept of the “agentic state,” where individuals see themselves not as acting on their own accord, but as mere agents carrying out the wishes of an external authority. This psychological shift is a form of disempowerment, as it allows people to abdicate personal responsibility and moral judgment. The experiment reveals a fundamental societal dysfunction: the potential for collective harm when individuals surrender their autonomy to authority, transforming their own moral judgment into a threat response.
The dynamic between bullying and victimhood is a fundamental aspect of disempowerment. Bullying is an exertion of coercive power. As Jennifer Hancock illuminates in The Bully Vaccine, the bully, often driven by their own fears, seeks to establish dominance by instilling fear in others. This is an example of power creating a direct threat to the target’s well-being and autonomy. The target’s response—passive acceptance, fear of retaliation, or learned helplessness—becomes their threat response. This behaviour, where victims contribute to their own disempowerment, stems from the meaning they make of the situation: a belief that they have no control. Hancock argues that “The key to not being a bully’s next victim is to take away their power by not being afraid of them.” This is not about blame, but about understanding the interplay between the disempowering action and the reaction, and recognising that reclaiming personal agency is possible by changing the meaning one makes of the situation.
When individuals face feelings of powerlessness, their threat responses often manifest as various forms of escapism. Excessive social media use, substance abuse, gambling, or reckless financial schemes offer temporary relief but ultimately erode a sense of agency and control. These behaviours represent a surrender of personal power, serving as an attempt to cope with perceived threats to well-being, even if they exacerbate the underlying problem. In unhealthy relationships, codependency creates a destructive power dynamic where one person sacrifices their needs to cater to another, creating an imbalance of power and hindering both individuals’ ability to thrive. This shows how relational power can lead to individuals making the meaning that their needs are secondary, and responding by sacrificing themselves.
The insidious ways we disempower ourselves often extend beyond individual fears or one-on-one toxic dynamics. The architecture of our social connections—or their absence—can become a silent force of disempowerment. When genuine, supportive networks are neglected or fail to form, individuals face isolation, a direct threat to their sense of belonging and agency. In response to this void, people may gravitate towards escapist behaviours that offer temporary solace but ultimately surrender personal power. Similarly, a failure to cultivate diverse connections can leave individuals trapped within insular “echo chambers.” This intellectual confinement starves minds of varied perspectives, reinforces existing biases, and hinders the critical thinking necessary to resist manipulation. When networking devolves into a purely transactional pursuit, it erodes trust and can lead to relationships of exploitation. As explored by Robert Cialdini in Influence, the dynamics of unethical persuasion transform into mechanisms of disempowerment, where one person’s autonomy is undermined under the guise of connection.
Beyond individual interactions, ideological power plays a role in perpetuating disempowerment. Freud’s concept of the “narcissism of minor differences” describes our tendency to define identity by contrasting ourselves with others, often leading to the dehumanisation of those perceived as “different”—a process of “othering.” This allows us to project insecurities onto others, bolstering our own fragile sense of self and justifying discriminatory behavior. Freud viewed this as a “tragic flaw,” suggesting an ongoing, internal battle against these tendencies. Brené Brown, in Daring Greatly, explores the connection between vulnerability and disempowerment. Brown argues that our fear of vulnerability often drives us to engage in disempowering behaviors. We erect defenses like numbing emotions and perfectionism. These are threat responses to the perceived threat of vulnerability, leading to disconnection, shame, and further disempowerment. Brown suggests that embracing vulnerability, rather than running from it, is the path to true power. Susan Jeffers, in Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, offers another perspective on fear’s contribution to disempowerment. Jeffers contends that fear itself isn’t the problem, but our reaction to it. Her core message is about changing our relationship to fear and reclaiming personal power by altering our meaning-making around it.
The process of disempowerment often begins in systemic power structures. Paulo Freire, in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, exposes how the “banking model” of education stifles critical thinking and agency. This form of disempowerment subtly trains individuals to accept their lot, leaving them feeling voiceless and powerless to shape their destinies. David Foster Wallace reminds us in This Is Water, that we possess a power to choose how we perceive and respond to the world, even within disempowering systems. He urges self-awareness and empathy, to recognise shared struggles and resist self-centredness. Bell hooks, in Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, takes this further by illuminating how various systems of oppression—sexism, racism, classism—intersect to create compounded experiences of disempowerment. To truly understand disempowerment, hooks insists, we must centre the voices of those living at the margins.
Judith Herman, in Trauma and Recovery, reveals the devastating impact of trauma on an individual’s sense of power and control. Experiences of abuse and violence are threats that shatter fundamental beliefs, leaving individuals feeling helpless and disempowered. This creates deep-seated threat responses and alters one’s meaning-making about self and the world. But Herman offers hope, outlining a path to recovery centered on reclaiming agency, rebuilding connections, and empowering survivors to heal.
It is crucial to recognise how societal structures perpetuate disempowerment. Responding to public pressure, societies often create “convenient places for inconvenient people”—institutions like prisons and mental institutions. These systems, often with the best of intentions, can inadvertently strip individuals of their agency, creating environments where dysfunction thrives by imposing control and dependence. We often disempower ourselves by buying into a victim mentality, a concept explored by authors like David Burns and Steven Pinker. While understandable, this perspective can trap us in a cycle of helplessness, preventing proactive steps. This victim mentality is closely related to learned helplessness, where individuals believe they have no control, even when opportunities for change exist. Johann Hari’s Chasing the Scream suggests addiction is not a moral failing but a response to a lack of meaningful connection—a deep-seated threat response to social isolation.
The dysfunctions plaguing our personal lives and societies are not simply imposed by external forces. They are also the result of our own choices, fears, and disavowal of personal responsibility—how we respond to the power dynamics and threats we face. From the subtle ways we diminish ourselves and others to the grand societal systems that perpetuate inequality, the power to change resides within us. By acknowledging our capacity for both harm and healing, and understanding these processes through the lens of power, threat, meaning, and response, we can begin to dismantle the cycles of disempowerment and cultivate a more just and compassionate world.
Next Chapter: Attitude: Feelings vs Values
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