The insatiable need for heartless power and ruthless control is
The insatiable need for heartless power and ruthless control is the telltale sign of an uninitiated man - the most irresponsible, incompetent and destructive force on earth.
Michael Leunig, the poet of spirit and conscience, once spoke with piercing clarity: “The insatiable need for heartless power and ruthless control is the telltale sign of an uninitiated man—the most irresponsible, incompetent and destructive force on earth.” These words strike like a prophet’s cry, for they reveal the danger of power untempered by wisdom, of authority held by those who have not passed through the fires of humility and transformation.
In the language of the ancients, the uninitiated man is he who has not yet faced his own shadow, who has not learned reverence for life or responsibility for others. He grasps at ruthless control, believing dominion will mask his emptiness. But this hunger is not strength—it is weakness disguised as mastery. For true kingship arises only after the trials of initiation, where pride is broken and compassion is born. Without this, man becomes not a guardian but a tyrant.
History offers grim examples. Think of Joseph Stalin, who rose from obscurity with unquenchable thirst for heartless power. He had not walked the path of self-knowledge, nor was he tempered by the discipline of compassion. Instead, he sought only control, ruling with fear, silencing millions, destroying lives in the name of his ambition. His reign, marked by cruelty, was the embodiment of the uninitiated man—a destructive force unleashed upon the earth.
Yet the ancients also show us the contrast. The tribal warrior of old was not permitted to wield power until he had undergone rites of passage—rituals that taught endurance, humility, and respect for the sacred. Only then was he trusted to carry the spear, for only then was he initiated into the wisdom that restrains power and channels it toward service. Without such initiation, strength becomes chaos, and authority becomes devastation.
Let the generations remember: the danger is not in power itself, but in heartless power—authority stripped of wisdom, control divorced from compassion. Such rulers, whether in nations, families, or tribes, sow ruin where they tread. The true path is initiation: to confront fear, to cultivate humility, and to awaken to responsibility. Only then can power become service, and leadership become blessing. For it is not dominion that defines a man, but the wisdom with which he wields it.
SUBach say uwu
I sense both anger and sorrow in this quote. It reads like a lament for the damage caused by people who mistake dominance for leadership. It makes me wonder—can an uninitiated person ever recognize their own destructiveness, or does power blind them completely? Maybe that’s why the world keeps repeating cycles of abuse: because those who most crave control are the least equipped to wield it wisely.
DNDinh Nga
Leunig’s words make me reflect on how power, when disconnected from empathy, becomes the root of so much suffering. The phrase ‘uninitiated man’ feels like a metaphor for spiritual blindness. Could it be that initiation means confronting one’s own shadow—learning humility before trying to lead others? It’s a compelling argument that emotional maturity, not authority, defines true strength.
Mmaihoangphuoc
This statement hits hard because it calls out the emptiness behind cruelty. It suggests that the drive for domination isn’t strength, but fear disguised as control. I can’t help but think about how this plays out in business, politics, even relationships. What would it take for society to redefine power not as control, but as service and emotional intelligence?
XTPhan Thi Xuan Trang
There’s something deeply spiritual about this reflection. Leunig seems to link emotional immaturity with societal decay, implying that without inner initiation—without humility or empathy—power becomes toxic. I wonder if this concept of initiation refers to rites of passage we’ve lost as a culture. Maybe that’s why so many in power act like children wielding dangerous toys—they’ve never truly faced themselves.
LLLinh Le
I find this statement incredibly relevant to modern leadership and politics. The description of heartless power reminds me of how easily ambition can morph into destruction when it lacks wisdom. But it also raises a question: is this behavior unique to men, or is ‘uninitiated’ more symbolic—referring to anyone who hasn’t grown beyond ego? It’s a sharp reminder that power without inner growth always leads to harm.