The real sting here lies in reversing how we usually think about power—it's not something you *have* that defines you, but something you *do* with it that reveals who you are. Most people assume power corrupts character, but Plato suggests the opposite: power is simply a mirror, showing us exactly what we're made of when the constraints disappear. A manager who hoards credit from their team, or gives it generously, isn't different in kind—both are equally exposed by that same moment of choice. We see this constantly in small ways: the person who becomes petty when promoted, or the one who suddenly remembers how dismissal felt and treats their junior staff with unusual kindness.