Does power corrupt people?

[noname223]

Maybe one should ask it the other way round. When does power not corrupt people? I had this thought when I listened to a story about Xi Jinping. But one could also think about leaders like Putin. But I don't want that this thread gets too political.

I find it interesting how this desire for power develops in a person. Xi was humiliated and abused when he was young. I had similar experiences and I can relate to this desire for power. One reason why I wanted to become a pollitician were my bad childhood experiences. It for sure does something in a person to be abused in a young age. The main character in House of Cards was also abused as a child and then became president. It probably was not that healthy to have him as my role model.

Bruh my keyboard is still blocked. Cleaning did not help. Maybe I have to remove the key. I am scared that I will make it way worse when I try to fix it.

There are probably a lot of inferior complexes in a person with such a biography. I think for sure I have some of them. When you are as young chilld early in a survival mode this can fuck up your brain.

I would like to analyze some dictators now. Though there are two problems remote diagnosis is not really accurate and this post had to move to the politics subforum. I will try to answer the question more in a general sense.

I think power often corrupts people. It is astonishing how many dictators are seen as hope for progress and a better future at first. But then the opposite happens. First they are seen as reformers but more and more they begin to be corrupted. Not sure whether their ideals change or their personality. Not sure whether they already planned to do it or whether this happens due to the fact they are overwhelmed by the money or power they could have.

I am not sure what makes people immune to the desire for absolute power. In some countries they seemingly have less problems with that. It probably has to do with traditions but also with the personality of the leaders. Moreover which role models there exist in the specific country.

I think many people in power think of them as too important. They overestimate their importance, intelligence and skills. I think especially about a certain politician in my own country but there are way more examples of that. I have the feeling many of them become (even more) arrogant and self-centered.
Though one probably needs to have a huge ego to become politician in the first place. All the struggles one has to face. Not everyone would want this. It can ruin your personal life fully.

However I have to say I don't know any person in a high position privately. There seem to some with at least a minimum of concerns for people in bad conditions. I think in my country this is at least a little bit more widespread than in other countries. But often I have the feeling it is only a facade to look good. Maybe I am to judgemental here I don't know.

I would like to include examples not only from politics. The last passage was conceptualized with my experiences of job interviews with bosses of businesses in mind. Espcecialy when everyone pretends they would not discriminate against people with disabilities. Even when I applied for jobs in state institutions I had the feeling they gave me basically a 0% chance to get the job. They are so hypocritical.

Maybe there is often a certain rudeness which is needed to get to such a high position. Maybe one has to be more indifferent to moral principles etc.

I don't know what is your take on it?

 

[whatevs]

What if instead of corruption, we should frame it as power letting us express fully parts of ourselves that are repressed? When you're lowly and unliked you have to let go or hide certain ambitions, but as soon as you were given the ability to impose your will things would become drastically different overnight.

Then there's the glaring issue that to climb up the social ladder psychopathy and narcissism gives you an edge, making them more abundant at the top.

 

[makethepainstop]

History tends to support the theory that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely!

 

[Lost Magic]

It corrupts them and they become greedy and beholden to big business. Look at the vast sums of money many of them made after they left the office for speeches to the likes of Wall Street (looking at you Obama and Clinton). Then look at all the tax breaks some of them give to the people that supported their campaigns to get them elected (Trump as an example). Yeah, most of them are corrupt to the core. Politicians are gangsters that bleed countries dry for their own interests and that of their rich friends.

 

[JustSwingingTheD]

Maybe one should ask it the other way round. When does power not corrupt people? I had this thought when I listened to a story about Xi Jinping. But one could also think about leaders like Putin. But I don't want that this thread gets too political.

You are getting it wrong: Already corrupt people thrive in authoritarian systems.

Power corrupts but it also reveals.

I find it interesting how this desire for power develops in a person. Xi was humiliated and abused when he was young. I had similar experiences and I can relate to this desire for power. One reason why I wanted to become a pollitician were my bad childhood experiences. It for sure does something in a person to be abused in a young age. The main character in House of Cards was also abused as a child and then became president. It probably was not that healthy to have him as my role model.

It's a tv show. Grow up?

 

[myfinalform]

power, money and famous, the root of all evil

 

[GrumpyFrog]

I think, as it was already stated above, the issue isn't as much about power itself corrupting the person, but about the fact that being manipulative, cunning, ruthless and morally bankrupt really helps with achieving power, and in certain situations and societies where rule is authoritarian and taking power by force is normalized being morally bankrupt pretty much becomes a prerequisite for being in power for any prolonged period of time. I think the House of Cards actually does a brilliant job of showing exactly how this happens, and how people with morals are pushed out and run over by ruthless psychopaths on the way to the top. So the people in power are not corrupted by power - they are corrupted by their previous experiences that make them seek power in the first place (and yes, there is a tendency for overcompensation for past humiliation among the worst of the people in power, with the person taking it out on anyone and everyone and creating an atmosphere of terror to keep anyone from ever daring to humiliate them again).

 

[Sprite_Geist]

It can work both ways. Power can corrupt those with well-meaning intentions; power can also attract those who are already corrupted, and give them the ability to carry out their ill intentions.

 

[CatLover]

I've known several local, small-time politicians (councillors and such) who have got into it because they cared about their local area and the people living in it, could see some things weren't working correctly and wanted to try and make things fairer. Councillors don't get paid, but it can be a stepping stone to becoming an MP or whatever. In reality I'm not sure if that is actually the way it works, because the MPs don't ever seem to have been councillors and I don't see any councillors I know becoming MPs. I think it's a kind of a cul de sac, down which kind people who have some energy and want to do some good, are lured and then expend all their energy and effort in a 'I'm sorry we didn't get that, can you send it through again?' kind of hell. By the time they're done, they're, well, done. As one said 'the system changes you before you can change the system'. So I think there's definitely an element that the 'systems' of power are built to gatekeep out those who would disrupt things and redistribute some of the wealth and make life less shitty for those at the bottom of the social pile. The REAL route to power is obviously another way as as I say, I don't see it leading to people getting real power, just nervous breakdowns. If you try and play by the rules, you won't get anywhere, but if you're a Wolf of Wall Street style psychopath and know the right palms to grease you can reach dizzy heights. It doesn't help that we seem to put these psychos on the cover of Time and worship them.

 

[Julgran]

Maybe one should ask it the other way round. When does power not corrupt people? I had this thought when I listened to a story about Xi Jinping. But one could also think about leaders like Putin. But I don't want that this thread gets too political.

I find it interesting how this desire for power develops in a person. Xi was humiliated and abused when he was young. I had similar experiences and I can relate to this desire for power. One reason why I wanted to become a pollitician were my bad childhood experiences. It for sure does something in a person to be abused in a young age. The main character in House of Cards was also abused as a child and then became president. It probably was not that healthy to have him as my role model.

Bruh my keyboard is still blocked. Cleaning did not help. Maybe I have to remove the key. I am scared that I will make it way worse when I try to fix it.

There are probably a lot of inferior complexes in a person with such a biography. I think for sure I have some of them. When you are as young chilld early in a survival mode this can fuck up your brain.

I would like to analyze some dictators now. Though there are two problems remote diagnosis is not really accurate and this post had to move to the politics subforum. I will try to answer the question more in a general sense.

I think power often corrupts people. It is astonishing how many dictators are seen as hope for progress and a better future at first. But then the opposite happens. First they are seen as reformers but more and more they begin to be corrupted. Not sure whether their ideals change or their personality. Not sure whether they already planned to do it or whether this happens due to the fact they are overwhelmed by the money or power they could have.

I am not sure what makes people immune to the desire for absolute power. In some countries they seemingly have less problems with that. It probably has to do with traditions but also with the personality of the leaders. Moreover which role models there exist in the specific country.

I think many people in power think of them as too important. They overestimate their importance, intelligence and skills. I think especially about a certain politician in my own country but there are way more examples of that. I have the feeling many of them become (even more) arrogant and self-centered.
Though one probably needs to have a huge ego to become politician in the first place. All the struggles one has to face. Not everyone would want this. It can ruin your personal life fully.

However I have to say I don't know any person in a high position privately. There seem to some with at least a minimum of concerns for people in bad conditions. I think in my country this is at least a little bit more widespread than in other countries. But often I have the feeling it is only a facade to look good. Maybe I am to judgemental here I don't know.

I would like to include examples not only from politics. The last passage was conceptualized with my experiences of job interviews with bosses of businesses in mind. Espcecialy when everyone pretends they would not discriminate against people with disabilities. Even when I applied for jobs in state institutions I had the feeling they gave me basically a 0% chance to get the job. They are so hypocritical.

Maybe there is often a certain rudeness which is needed to get to such a high position. Maybe one has to be more indifferent to moral principles etc.

I don't know what is your take on it?

Power may corrupt anyone who sticks a fork into a wall socket

Jokes aside, at the very least, I believe that suddent power makes people lazy to the degree that they quit putting in any extra effort into what they are supposed to do, since they will likely have more spending money, and will, therefore, not be as afraid of living paycheck to paycheck.

 

[noname223]

It's a tv show. Grow up?

I was a teenager when I had him as my role model. I cannot retrospectively grow up.