Identify the Patterns of Power to Unravel

Now, let us step back and examine the pattern we’ve uncovered. There is a reason why these two elements of discourse (speaking truth to power and punching up rather than down) are so vital.

The first principle, speaking truth to power, ensures that those in authority are held accountable for their actions. It is the antidote to complacency, the spark that ignites change. The second principle, punching up instead of down, ensures that our discourse remains rooted in moral clarity rather than evasion or distractions. Together, they form a bridge between power and virtue, between oppression and justice.

But this is not merely theory. It is the lived reality of history. Consider the whistleblowers who exposed corruption from the highest echelons of power, choosing to punch up rather than down. Now compare the impacts of such actions to the impact of others not so involved with truth and power. These are not isolated events without overarching patterns, but rather reveal the same truths; they are part of a larger pattern that defines the moral compass of human civilisation for correction.

Punching up with truth leads to success, where punching down is only ‘beneficial’ insofar as it is a distraction ultimately typically wrapped up in deceptions. Compare the actions of whistleblowers and their impact to so-called “civil rights” leaders who attack and condemn normal everyday people for nothing, inviting nothing but ire upon them. What does this mean for people genuinely interested in benefiting others?

This pattern is ignored and misunderstood. Why? Because it requires virtues; qualities that many fear to embrace. To speak truth to power is to invite scrutiny, to risk everything. To punch up rather than down is to challenge the status quo, to confront the very systems that sustain imbalance.

What world could we create if more embraced these principles? A world where power is not a tool of domination but a responsibility of service held so to account. Truth yet prevails over lies, and justice replaces corruption.