Two centuries before Christ, King Ptolemy of Egypt wanted a lighthouse built in Alexandria, Egypt. Ptolemy was a proud king. He wanted his name engraved at the top of the lighthouse. The builder carried out his orders, but first, he carved his own name in the stone. Then he plastered over his name and engraved the name of the king. The salt spray, wind, and rain gradually loosened the plaster, which erased the king's name completely. This left only the real builder's name. The builder had the last laugh, though, of course, neither he nor the king lived to see it.

Power is a subjective thing, isn't it? Like beauty, power is in the eye of the beholder. You can learn a lot about a people by knowing how they view power. What represents power in our culture? Is it physical strength, is it wisd…