If we're talking about sociopolitical power, then wouldn't it be defined as being the extent to which one controls (use the verb of your choice: owns, directs, etc.) the potential of oneself and other people?

Sounds about right.

We saw how the covid police took control of our potential as individuals. That potential is gold. It's worth more than absolutely anything else. Nothing is more valuable to those thirsting for power than being able to direct the potential of other people.

That's it! Controlling the potential of all the individuals - on a mass scale - that's God-playing territory.

There's also a quantum mechanics component to it - for every hi-jacked potential - there's the un-lived potential scenario. Does that still exist?

By this definition, it is finite. A nightmare of totalitarian types would be having nobody to control. Maybe that's what countries are ultimately fighting over. Not resources, but human potential, which I guess is the ultimate resource.

That's where the war is won or lost.

My gut-feeling from the whole Covid experience was: The more powerful the influencers got, the less powerful i got. Try influencing one of them - see how you get along.

Normal people are being removed from the equation of influencing their own or the collective's potential.

As you said earlier: What can we do about it?

I don't know. It's tricky when you have no power.

I guess open it up publicly as at least a topic to be discussed is a good first step. The under current is there - if someone with a bit of charisma can embody it then ...

Then they'll probably wind up like Assange & Snowden ...

Yeah, i don't know. What do you think?