The inverse Spider-Man rule

Gunnar R. Fischer
Sep 5, 2018 · 1 min read

You may have heard that quote from Spider-Man (2002) too often:

“Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.”

However, you can also look at it the other way around: You want me to take responsibility? Then give me the power to do so!

Neither “power” nor “responsibility” are good or bad in themselves. The trick is that they have to go together to have a healthy effect. (*) Power without responsibility creates reckless persons. Responsibility without power creates desperate people. Guess what you encounter more at work…

A very similar rule (Captain Obvious strikes again):

“Don’t take it personal.” — “Then don’t make it personal.”

(*) You could almost phrase it as a “balance of the force” — only that this is the wrong franchise…

Gunnar R. Fischer

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Contact me in English, German, Esperanto…

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