This isn't merely political or physical domination. Will to Power operates at all levels: organisms adapting, artists creating, thinkers questioning, anyone striving to become more than they are. Even self-denial expresses will to power—power over oneself.
Nietzsche saw this as more fundamental than Schopenhauer's will to live. Living things don't just want to survive; they seek growth, expansion, overcoming. A being that merely survived without striving would be degenerating, not living fully.
The concept has ethical implications. Nietzsche criticized moralities that suppress will to power—promoting weakness, resentment, and life-denial. He advocated affirming life fully, including struggle and suffering, as necessary for growth and becoming.
Critics warn against misappropriation—Nietzsche's concept was misused by fascists and social Darwinists. Properly understood, will to power is creative and self-overcoming, not about dominating others but about realizing one's potential.
The concept influenced existentialism, psychology, and cultural criticism, though it remains controversial in interpretation and application.
Source
Nietzsche's Philosophy