Why is it that power corrupts?
Question from the Internet:
“Why does power corrupt? Is the process of decreased empathy related to the Stockholm Syndrome where the prisoner becomes empathetic? Why is power powerful?”
Knowingly, unknowingly we are all born with an inherently self-serving, self-justifying nature, and knowingly or unknowingly we all succeed at each other’s expense, especially since we have evolved into a globally integrated, interdependent world.
Moreover our selfish desire for egoistic fulfilment is insatiable, irrepressible, whatever we gained today, tomorrow we need twice as much.
We are truly like addicts as long as we blindly follow our inherent, selfish, exploitative program. Thus even if one starts with beautiful, selfless, positive intentions, the more successful, powerful one becomes the more we become intoxicated by it and want more.
This is why individual leadership, power corrupts and had become harmful, outright destructive in our age.
And if we think it affects only certain people we are wrong, in the same situations, same conditions we would all behave the same as we are all driven by the same program as many purposeful or accidental social, psychological proves.
Only a unique educational method that can teach us, show us the desires, intentions that truly drive us, and a constant, purposeful, collective, mutual cooperation that can offset the incessant activity, aspirations of our selfish egos — that we cannot suppress, erase — can help us avoid the pitfalls of power, success corrupting is.
Only when we purposefully, methodically exist, work for the sake of each other above, against our instinctive drive can we solve problems and develop further without self-destruction our ego can take us to.