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The ability to exert control drives many people to action. This force affects everybody. Everybody either controls something or somebody, or is controlled by others. In other cases there is a mixture: some people are controlled by some things and they control other things.

Successful drivers know that - to a large degree - they can control whether they have accidentsSuccessful teachers do not necessarily know the subject better than other teachers, and their general teaching skills may not necessarily be superior. However, those who can control the system and their classes will succeed in their job, while others fail.

Control is related to leaders and followers. These concepts are neither good nor bad, but they identify people.

Leaders control others. Followers are controlled. They can both be happy and live productive lives and the world needs both leaders and followers equally. After all, if there were only leaders then there would be nobody to do the work. Granted, they are not required in equal numbers. Clearly the world requires more followers than leaders.

Families

Families often face issues of control. Birth order or other criteria may affect the tendency of one sibling to control others. The members of a well run family are not offended by those in control; in other families this can lead to friction among the family members and ultimately, to a potentially dysfunctional family.

Parental control of receptive children can lead to good behavior. Children who are less receptive to parental control may cause friction within the family.

These issues may also be affected by a person's perception of control. Sometimes those who are not members of a family may perceive that a family evidences control that does not meet their own concept of justice. They may choose to become involved in the family.

You may say that this is unwarranted, and that outsiders should mind their own business. Perhaps. However, this does happen, and it may influence the functioning of the family.

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Many factors are involved when people think about control or suffer from control.

Some people think about a power play in which two tough people try to meet each other and try to get their own way.

There is also mind control in which people try to control the way others think. This is extremely dangerous and people have learned successful tactics by which they can achieve this nefarious goal. There are other ways as well.

Few people will admit that their goal is control of others. That does sound crass. Instead, they will package their goal in other ways such as trying to help others see the benefit, truth, or qualities of their point of view. In this way they can recruit others to their side and get them to help him achieve his goals.

Some people can control in ways that are subtle and barely even noticed. They control others and the others might even seem to appreciate it. In some cases that matches the personality of the other person, so it is arguable whether this is a problem. In other cases, people are controlled without wanting to be controlled, but yet they don't realize it or they believe that it is a good thing.