We tend to think of power as something visible. We see it in the politician at the podium, the CEO in the boardroom, or the monarch on the throne. We see the person, the title, and the office. But this is like looking at a leaf on a river and thinking it controls the current. The real power—the kind that truly shapes our world—is invisible. It operates like the fundamental forces of physics: gravity, inertia, and magnetism. You can’t see them, but they dictate the motion of everything.
The Gravity of the Status Quo
Gravity is the most relentless force we know. It pulls everything toward a massive center, and it takes an enormous amount of energy to escape it. In society, the gravity of the status quo works the same way. This is the powerful, constant pull of “the way things are.” It’s the collection of economic systems, cultural norms, and historical precedents that create a default path for everything. It’s why wealth tends to stay concentrated, why old traditions die hard, and why it is so much easier to conform than to rebel. Fighting this force feels like trying to jump to the moon—it requires a staggering amount of energy just to achieve liftoff.
The Inertia of ‘How Things Are Done’
Newton’s first law states that an object in motion remains in motion, and an object at rest remains at rest. This is inertia, and it is the guiding principle of every large institution on Earth. Bureaucracies, corporations, and governments are designed to resist changes in direction. The phrase “that’s not how we do things here” is one of the most powerful expressions of institutional inertia. It’s not necessarily born of malice; it’s simply the physics of a large, complex system. A new idea, no matter how brilliant, must overcome the immense inertia of the existing process, which is why real change within big organizations is so slow and exhausting.
The Magnetism of Belief
Some forces don’t just pull; they also push. Magnetism attracts and repels, organizing scattered iron filings into clear, predictable patterns. In society, ideology and belief systems function in this way. Shared ideas—political, religious, or social—function as powerful magnets, drawing people into cohesive groups and aligning their actions toward a common purpose. At the same time, this force creates poles of opposition that strongly repel those with different beliefs. This invisible magnetism is what organizes movements, builds nations, and divides populations with a strength that no single leader could ever command.
Friction and the Cost of Change
Whenever you try to move an object, you encounter friction. It’s the resistance that slows you down and drains your energy. For anyone trying to create social or political change, friction is a constant companion. It’s the pushback from established interests, the drag of public opinion, and the subtle resistance of a culture that is comfortable with the status quo. Every step forward requires pushing against this invisible friction. It explains why activists burn out, why progress often feels like a grueling “two steps forward, one step back” dance. The force of friction is designed to wear down momentum.
Seeing the Matrix
If we only focus on the visible actors—the politicians, the leaders, the figureheads—we will never understand why the world works the way it does. We will continue to be surprised when changing the person in charge doesn’t change the outcome. True power lies in understanding the underlying physics of the systems we inhabit. To create meaningful change, you can’t just fight the players; you have to understand the forces that are moving them. You have to become a physicist of power, learning how to defy gravity, overcome inertia, and generate a magnetic force of your own.
