The Catholic historian Lord Acton once said that all power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. However, Abraham Lincoln posited that you must give someone power to truly test their character. Is it really true that power is a poison guaranteed to corrupt all people equally, or do corrupted people tend to seek out power more often? Whatever the case, our response to power is an interesting study of human morality. Continuing from his last encounter with Picard and crew, the god-like alien Q tests humanity once more. The trial to see if humans are a worthy species is ongoing, and what better way to test their ethics and decision making than to give them power? In a random twist of events, Q grants Commander Riker with the same god powers wielded by the Q continuum. Just like that, Riker is a demi-god, a superman with limitless ability. It is depicted as the worst thing that could possibly happen to a mere mortal human.
At first, the noble commander refuses to use these new abilities, only testing them once to save the lives of his crew members. Gradually, he becomes more accustomed to using them, and they in turn rot his character. The lesson is that power will always turn a person amoral, no matter who that person was to begin with. Riker was always depicted as at least someone trying to be a decent human being, and at best a model Starfleet officer. What would someone like that be expected to do with power? Further the goals and values of the Federation? This is where he may run into trouble, if his ideas of a perfect society don’t apply equally to all civilizations and circumstances. It would have depicted a more nuanced view, instead of insisting that a good person will always turn into an arrogant and greedy narcissist, happy to take what he or she wants.
Instead of assuming that power corrupts everyone equally, in the same ways, it is more accurate to think of power as an amplification of already established personality traits. Someone with a naturally cruel or arrogant disposition won’t find much outlet to exhibit cruelty on others if he or she is not in a position of power, but with said power, all social barriers melt away. Greater command of circumstances removes consequences that used to keep this type of person in check. On the other hand, power grants a freedom through which well-intended people can also wield their influence for the greater good. Riker is a natural leader, but that means he could also be prone to arrogance. Since having Q powers literally made him better than everyone else, this inborn trait was amplified and intensified. The world needs strong leaders to run governments, businesses, and communities. We would do well to spot problematic personality traits before we voluntarily grant someone a highly influential role… or if an alien suddenly appears and bestows the person with superpowers.
Hopeless Trekkie 