Power seduces ...

One of the most important and necessary lessons that exist is to learn to say “no”, assume our mistakes and understand them. It would seem that we have lost this battle. I don’t know if Nancy Reagan is to blame with her “just say no,” in the eighties: it’s hard to just say no. We began to find guilty parties, and we convinced ourselves that the fault was never ours. New technical words and definitions emerged that exculpated the child and the teacher at the same time … the fault had been an “attention deficit.” We discovered who was at fault for our boredom, our mediocrity, our overweight, our ignorance or our intolerance and we breathed relieved to realize that we were not guilty. Nothing is as simple as “say no”, and so, we lost perspective. Nothing has only one culprit or a single solution. But “saying no” can be a great start.

#metoo was extremely important and shaped the white elephant that has always been in the room. We discover that those who have power use it for their benefit. But we forget to define “power,” and we assume that the only power comes from that vertical line where a boss is above. #metoo does not seek to teach how to flip that line and match dynamics in an horizontal way. With horror I see in El País[1] that opens its menu with “The Fallen” and makes it part of this new witch hunt. There is nothing new in this story, that always, for personal reasons but in the name of justice, seeks and condemns “the guilty.” Centuries later, we have forgotten that and abundance of bonfires burnt many, none of them withces.

We have once again lost perspective. We live in a hypocritical moment that, with its politically correct language, hides with baroque definitions the obvious truths. Who was pushed into a dressing room and forced to have sex was raped, not harassed. Whoever took a hand and forced someone to grope them, was harassed. (For unveiling thise, I do thank #metoo) But who, being an adult, saw the bait and bit the hook and ended up in some bed or sofa is part of an eternal game of powers. Because let’s not belittle beauty please! Beauty is power. There will be those who only crossed words, looks or insinuations. There will be those who got presents or careers, and those who left only with the mischief and pleasure of the moment. The human casino includes the eternal flirting of the species with “better or worse” results. We are all part of this game. Everybody.

I am tired of accusations that arrive thirty years later, because they confuse the perspective and seek, many times with anger and anonymously, to discover guilty parties and demarcate themselves from their own faults. I admit, it is an act of courage to make an accusation, and sometimes a necesity. Fear is part of the human braid; but I don’t find courage in some confusing accusations.

Brave are those who live today and accuse today even if they risk their work or their career. That they take the risks and face them. #metoo risks losing its raison d’être if it no longer seeks equality or justice. They use the torches not to iluminate but to light bonfires. Now, #metoo has power and when they abuse it, it becomes part of the problem. It no longer holds perspectives. #metoo no longer seeks peace, only war. Power has seduced them …