Most people can handle hard times, but if you really want to see a person’s true character, give them power. This well-known idea, often linked to Abraham Lincoln, captures something very real about human nature. Hardship does show parts of who we are, but power shows much more. When someone is struggling, their actions are shaped by necessity—they must stay strong to survive. But when someone has power, when no one can stop them and nothing forces them to behave well, that is when their true nature becomes clear.
The Ramayana gives a strong example of this. Ravana, the king of Lanka, was not just a villain. He was a great scholar and built a rich kingdom through discipline and intelligence. But once he gained absolute power—once no one around him could challenge him—his inner flaws surfaced. His pride grew uncontrollably. He kidnapped Sita simply because he believed he could and thought he was above consequences. Surrounded by people who feared him, living in luxury, and cut off from honest advice, Ravana drifted away from basic morality. Power did not make him evil; it revealed what pride already existed inside him.
Rama offers the opposite picture. As the prince of Ayodhya, Rama enjoyed power and respect. Later, he faced fourteen years of exile filled with uncertainty and danger. Yet in both situations—whether living in a palace or surviving in the forest—he remained fair, calm, responsible, and true to dharma. His character did not change when his circumstances changed. This contrast shows the heart of the idea: adversity tested both Ravana and Rama, but power exposed their true selves. Ravana lost himself in arrogance, while Rama remained steady and principled.
We see similar patterns today, especially among entrepreneurs and startup founders. Many of them begin with real struggles—working long hours in tiny rooms, facing rejection, surviving on very little money. These hardships often make them humble and driven. But once they find success and gain wealth, status, and control, some of them change. They create toxic workplaces, ignore employees’ concerns, or start acting as though they can do no wrong. The difficulties of their early days brought out their creativity and strength, but the power they gained later revealed pride, entitlement, or selfishness. This happens so often that it becomes clear: power is a deeper test of character than adversity.
When life throws someone into a crisis—illness, financial trouble, or disaster—people often find courage because they have no choice. Hardship forces us to be strong. In those moments, consequences are immediate. If you make a poor decision in a crisis, the results appear quickly. This makes the test of adversity straightforward. It strips away showiness and demands honesty because survival depends on it.
Power works differently. When someone gains authority—whether in politics, business, or even in small social situations—the consequences of their actions become weaker or disappear. A corrupt official might misuse money without fear. A boss might mistreat employees knowing no one will challenge them. Power shows not the person we must be to survive, but the person we choose to be when everything is possible. A person who behaves well only because they fear punishment is not truly good. But a person who behaves well when they could easily behave badly—that person has real integrity.
History is full of examples of people who endured hardship bravely but failed when they gained power. Leaders who fought against oppression sometimes became oppressors themselves once they took control. Business owners who built companies with hard work sometimes become greedy or unethical when they dominate their industries. Even in ordinary life, a kind colleague may become a harsh boss, or a generous person may become miserly once they become wealthy. These changes reveal how much of our behavior is shaped by our situation, and how few people stay true to their principles once they hold power.
Why does power affect people this way? One reason is that power isolates people. When someone becomes powerful, others often stop telling them the truth. They hesitate to criticize or offer honest feedback. People start praising them or agreeing with everything they say. Over time, powerful people stop experiencing the normal limits that keep most people grounded. Slowly, they begin to believe they deserve special treatment or are above ordinary rules. Small compromises turn into bigger ones. A businessman bends one small rule and later commits bigger fraud. A politician accepts one small favor and later becomes controlled by powerful groups. Power removes boundaries, so each step toward wrongdoing becomes easier.
Psychologists have studied this for years. Studies have shown how quickly ordinary students became abusive when given authority over others. Research on the “power paradox” explains that the same qualities—empathy, kindness, cooperation—that help people rise to power often fade once they actually have it.
This does not mean adversity never damages character. Extreme suffering can push people into actions they would never normally take. A starving person might steal. A terrified person under extreme pressure might betray someone. Long-lasting hardship can break or harden a person. But these actions happen under force, when choices are limited. Power, in contrast, gives people many choices. The test of adversity is whether you can stay human when your options shrink. The test of power is whether you stay human when your options expand.
Society instinctively understands this difference. When a poor person steals food, people often empathize. When a wealthy person steals, society is far more critical because that person had options and still chose wrongly. A powerless person who lashes out is judged less harshly than a leader who abuses authority, because leaders are expected to meet a higher standard. We know that power reveals character more sharply than adversity does.
In today’s world, this idea remains extremely relevant. We see it in politics—leaders who promise change but become rigid once they gain control. We see it in corporate spaces—executives who forget the struggles they faced on their way up. Even on social media, people who gain popularity sometimes start treating others with less kindness. These small examples show that the test of power is not only for kings, presidents, or CEOs. Almost everyone faces this test at some point—parents, teachers, supervisors, influencers, and even friends.
The quote reminds us that character is not only about surviving hardships but also about staying honest and kind when life gives us freedom and privilege. The real question is not who we are when life forces us to act, but who we are when nothing forces us at all. Do we use our advantages to lift others or only ourselves? Do we grow more generous as we rise, or more selfish? Do we remember our own struggles, or pretend we were always above them?
These are the questions that reveal true character. And they are questions that only power—not adversity—can fully expose.