"Unfortunately, too many people with power tend not to use it responsibly."

I tend to disagree.

Its just a fact that most men are stronger than their GF in physical terms. The power is right there to abuse. And yet most folks don't abuse it. Or even consider being "responsible" with it. For most guys in a relationship, its not even something you consider as a part of the dynamic.

Its there when it comes to distributing the household chores. But it isn't even under consideration as a tool to resort to when there's a difference of opinion.

The notion that those who have been married find that they have to restrain themselves from abusing their greater physical strength is absurd.

In fact, I'm inclined to observe that when guys get manipulative, they resort to the same sort of petty emotional manipulations to get their way as women do. Variations of the old, "If you really loved me" ploy.

Yes, there are some of both genders who always were bullies and always are; who will resort to exploiting differences in income or other power sources. But I think that most folks are decent enough that even when they become manipulative, the power imbalance doesn't occur to them to exploit.

And perhaps thats how it must be. Most of us learn what we know about how to persuade others honestly or how to manipulate them in childhood. If all our repertoire of tricks was learned back when we were at the weaker end of the power imbalance, then it will fall back on devices that allow the weaker party to exist on equal footing.

Dante