“With great power comes great responsibility.” This phrase correctly assesses that the greater the power of a being, the greater its capacity for both good and evil; for the creation of beautiful things or the destruction of what is beautiful. Possession of power does not necessarily mean that the power will be used honorably. In the timeless saga of the Lord of the Rings, the two wizards, Saruman and Gandalf, were both gifted with great power. Their reaction to power, however, was very different. On the one hand, Gandalf had a healthy respect for the seductive properties of power and was able to resist using and abusing it for his own ends. Instead, Saruman relented and attempted to establish himself as the dominant ruler; ultimately failing and creating a colossal amount of ruin in the process. Both were given power, one used it correctly and achieved many great feats; the other abused power and lost everything. This concept also applies to mankind. Some look at the horrors committed by humans in the past and conclude that we have degenerated far below the common animal. Others point to the great achievements of science and art, along with the selfless aid given to the helpless, from American ghettos to war-torn countries, and insist that we are progressing toward a perfect utopia. What both fail to see is that this power can be used to accomplish wonderful deeds or destroy everything that truly matters. The dark use of this power can be seen in all the wars, crimes and corruption that have plagued humanity forever. recorded history. It can be seen in every Stalin, Capone and Attila Hun in history, who did not let the concept of morality come between them and supremacy. A part...... middle of paper......ar, when he faces illness and hardship or when a soldier throws himself on a grenade to save his comrades. Evil is evident in families torn apart by drug abuse and also in every clerk killed during a robbery. The outcome of this war really depends on the individual and the choices they make; every decision will lead them down one path or another, often with consequences greater than they could have ever imagined. People who argue that humans have become less than animals, along with optimists who look forward to utopia, both fail to see the whole picture. image; they need to recognize the dual nature of human power to reach an accurate conclusion. When they focus only on one extreme, they acquire a false view of the world that will contaminate all their assumptions. Power can be used for evil or good; the choice is up to the individual who owns it.