I have always disliked the word empowerment. Disliking the word was not a conscious decision, but a subconscious one. Maybe it's because whenever I heard the term being used, it was associated with women. I have also written many essays with the phrase 'women empowerment,' but I cringed everytime I did. In retrospect, I realise that my hatred for this word was because:
1. my understanding of the meaning of the verb 'empower' was limited to only two meanings; (1) to give power to someone and (2) to give official authority or legal power to someone; and
2. A quote by Roseanne Barr, author of, among other books, My Life as a Woman;
"The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it."
Maybe, I should have prefaced this post by saying that I am a feminist, but then, I think, that would be stating the obvious. Therefore, Roseanne telling me, in no uncertain terms, mind you, that if you want power, you don't need permission, you just take it, I had good reason to hate the word empowerment. Until today!
During my yoga class, the instructor talked about empowerment and how it means different things to different people. The thing with yoga, you have to come to your practice undone and unglued from everything that you believe in and just be. Therefore, I was more than ready to hear the instructor's view on this loaded term. And from a yoga perspective, she talked about empowerment as being the freedom to be who you are, freedom to do what you think is right and freedom to get the most out of the practice. That right there was new for me. Having harboured strong feelings towards this empowering word, no pun intended, I didn't instantly change my view. Later, I consulted the good ol' Webster, and while I was right about the first two meanings, I didn't know about the third meaning which is 'to promote the self actualization or influence of.'
I love this third meaning, yet, I fail to understand why I don't want to let go of my hatred of the term. I know the opposite of hate is not necessarily love and it would be too soon for me to say that I love the word. Having a change of heart is rarely instantaneous, it takes time. I don't want to be indifferent towards it. So, why do I have this anomalous obsession to think am right even when I know am wrong? Part of my idiosyncrasies, I think?
The title of this post is from the song Coming of Age by Foster the People
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