We call the things we put as top priority in our lives, "idols". As humans we tend to focus on four primary idols that we call, "deep idols". Many humans seek power as the most important thing in their lives. The person at work that wants to be the boss, no matter the cost. The person at home, that wants to be in charge of everything, no matter the cost. As with all deep idols, seeking power is about trying to attain that thing which you believe will make you happy. And, as with all deep idols, seeking power to gain happiness will result in, you guessed it, no feelings of happiness.
The deep idol of power is really the ultimate in the self-reliant orientation. As modern humans we are convinced that (1) if we can't explain something then it must not be real, (2) if we want something we simply have to try harder, (3) if life is not going well, it is our own fault. As we seek power we are seeking the power over others to do our will. Ultimately we either gain the power we are seeking or we do not.
If you gain the power then great, right? Wrong. As humans when we seek power and get it, we become arrogant, prideful, self-centered, and full of confidence in the self-reliant lifestyle. How many powerful people that you know roughly meet this description? It is not a personal flaw, it is a human nature flaw. If you get that power you are seeking, you begin to spiral into someone that you do not want to become.
If you do not gain the power then that is good? Well, not really. If you are seeking power as your ultimate thing in life and you do not get it, you become crushed. Your ultimate goal in life has not been fulfilled and, as a self reliant person, believe that it is your fault. You become frustrated, blame others, and are anxious about whether you will ever get what you desire.
In both instances, seeking power ends in feelings that are not going to amount to happiness. Putting power seeking as our primary interest and passion can lead to many things, but happiness is not one of those things. In fact, I would content that seeking power as your ultimate life priority leads to negative feelings as you reflect on past events, live your current events, and look towards your future events. See the following visual: