It is a strange desire, to seek power, and to lose liberty; or

Francis Bacon, philosopher and servant of truth, once declared: “It is a strange desire, to seek power, and to lose liberty; or to seek power over others, and to lose power over a man’s self.” In this teaching lies a paradox that has ensnared rulers since the dawn of nations. For in their hunger for power, men often barter away the very liberty that makes them human. And in their quest to rule others, they forfeit the noblest rule of all—the mastery of themselves.

The ancients called this the great illusion: that dominion over others brings fulfillment. Yet the tyrant, while seated upon his throne, is often the greatest slave—bound by fear, chained by suspicion, consumed by restless ambition. For what profit is it to gain the obedience of multitudes, if one has lost command of his own soul? To conquer cities is easy; to conquer oneself is the labor of the wise.

History offers many proofs. Consider Napoleon Bonaparte, who rose from obscurity to command empires. He sought power over nations and crowned himself in glory. Yet the more he conquered, the less he ruled himself. Pride drove him into endless wars, until at last he was exiled to die on a barren island, a prisoner of his own insatiable ambition. He had seized kingdoms, but lost the liberty of peace, contentment, and self-mastery.

Bacon’s wisdom reminds us that true greatness is not found in ruling others, but in ruling oneself. The man who governs his passions, his desires, his fears—he is free, even if the world denies him crown or title. The man who cannot govern himself, even if he sits as emperor, lives in chains of his own making. Thus the wise seek inward dominion, while the foolish chase the fleeting shadow of outward control.

Let the generations remember: the lust for power is a snare, but the cultivation of self-mastery is freedom everlasting. The mighty who enslave others will perish, but the humble who master themselves will endure. This is the paradox Bacon revealed, a truth as sharp as a double-edged sword: he who seeks to rule without first ruling himself is already undone.