Why government will never work in our favor

It is amazing how just a little bit of power goes right to people's heads. Any time someone has power over someone, the exercise of that power changes the psychological mindset of powerholder. It has been shown through research the powerholder will lose respect for the person they are using the power against. Power corrupts the mind. A powerholder will go from the golden rule in a relationship to someone or a class of people to greatest possible evil of squashing people like ants with no perceived moral consequence. Even the most benign use of power will corrupt the powerholder.

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Lord Acton

If we do not understand why people become so corrupt, our government will never work in our favor. We need to understand why is there so much corruption by our leaders and a complete lack of respect for the public trust.

I read this really interesting piece of psychological research on the causes of corruption called "the metamorphic effect of power". Not only does power corrupt, be even worse, having power changes the powerholder to have "contempt" for those they have power over. Once the powerholder has this contempt, the powerholder no longer sees their subordinates as people deserving of any human respect. Instead, the powerholder sees their subordinates as worthless ants that can stepped on without any moral consequence. This idea of having power over others will change a person's psyche is very important. It's only by having awareness of this effect that its negatives can be avoided.

Here's a really good analysis on the idea:

"Any hierarchical system provides positions of power which are sought by the worst sort of people, namely the ambitious, unscrupulous and ruthless. Furthermore, even if by some chance sensitive and honest individuals obtain positions of power, they can quickly become corrupted. This is the experience with governments, corporations, churches, political parties and other institutions.

But why does power corrupt? For the answer, it is worth consulting the excellent work by David Kipnis, a professor of psychology at Temple University. He has carried out numerous experiments showing just how power corrupts. In his book "Power and Technology," Kipnis shows how technology amplifies the corruption of power.

For a person to be autonomous is widely considered to be a good thing. It is a feature of being fully human. When a person exercises power over others, the powerholder gains the impression that the others do not control their own behavior or, in other words, they are not autonomous. Hence, they are seen as less worthy. In short, a person who successfully exercises power over others is more likely to believe that they are less deserving of respect. They thus become good prospects to be exploited.

For example, Kipnis organized experiments in which a "boss" oversees the work of "subordinates" in a simulated situation. The experiment is contrived so that all subordinates do the same work. But the subordinate who is thought to be self-motivated is rated much more highly -- for exactly the same work -- than the subordinate who is thought to have done the work only under instruction. As well as laboratory studies, Kipnis examines the effects of power on the powerholder through studies of couples, managers and protagonists in Shakespeare's dramas. The results are always the same.

Kipnis follows through the implications of such evidence in a number of areas involving technology, including medical technology, workplace technology and the technology of repression. For example, technologies for surveillance or torture serve to control others: that is the obvious effect. But in addition, the psychology of the powerholder is changed when the technology promotes the reality or impression that others lack autonomy. Those subject to the technology are treated as less worthy, and any prospects for equality are ruled out.

Kipnis rightly points out that few studies have looked at the effects of power on the powerholder. He has done an admirable job of redressing this imbalance."

a reply to: dfnj2015

Very good topic!

I agree with you and on Kipnis experiment. Even if a person has all good intentions when given power, either they will be killed, or become corrupt.

This system has demonstrated time and time again that it does not work for the general population, because power corrupts the best of us, and self interests becomes the power holders only agendas.

I believe man can governor himself without leaders, everyone can be involved in public voting, it is that simple.

This earth was not created to be a place for slaves, only greedy, powerful men have created this ideology for self serving interests.

The question that remains is to ask whether this is innate behavior, genetic, or if it is learned behavior, or a mix of both and in what proportion. One cannot ignore the system in which we are all immersed since the day of our birth, and even before(competition, money, advertisement, scarcity whether real or artificially maintained, etc..). And one cannot ignore the incredible plasticity of the human brain. Vast topic..

Stanford experiment

a reply to: dfnj2015

Our leaders are, or become, corrupt because we, ourselves, are corrupt.

As it is said, "We get the government we deserve".

Too few of us have enough compassion for our fellow citizens to realize that what benefits the "other" can benefit all, and that "all" includes me and mine. Such attitudes fill too many with fears of being left out, left behind, short-changed and taken advantage of.

As if the opposite attitudes, which have, and continue to guide our decisions, have left us so much better off.

"Power is always dangerous. It attracts the worst and corrupts the best. I never asked for power. Power is only given to those who are prepared to lower themselves to pick it up."- Ragnar Lothbrok

I concur with this sentiment.

a reply to: Bhadhidar

That's true to a degree. However, frankly, I think people who seek power are intrinsically prone to corruption.

People say "government is a reflection of the commoners." That doesn't particularly wash with me. The vast majority of politicians have never had to live a commoner's life. You can't reflect that which you have no reference to.

a reply to: dfnj2015

Well...I take it literally. Govern-ment...meaning they GOVERN. Nowhere does that single term refer to the intent to provide in the best interest of those governed. Like the North Koreans for a single example.

Governments are varied. Democratic, Socialist, Communist, Repressive, Dicatorships (though technically not a SINGLE government, just some nutcase dictator).

Dont think any one gov. has got all the best interests of its peoples in great hands

originally posted by: Bhadhidar
a reply to: dfnj2015

Our leaders are, or become, corrupt because we, ourselves, are corrupt.

As it is said, "We get the government we deserve".

Too few of us have enough compassion for our fellow citizens to realize that what benefits the "other" can benefit all, and that "all" includes me and mine. Such attitudes fill too many with fears of being left out, left behind, short-changed and taken advantage of.

As if the opposite attitudes, which have, and continue to guide our decisions, have left us so much better off.

There is a lot of scapegoating going on right now. How else do you win elections???????

a reply to: gosseyn

whether this is innate behavior, genetic, or if it is learned behavior, or a mix of both and in what proportion.

It's not. It's not really 'behaviour' - this is basically projection-based semi-observation blanketed to encompass a vast number of people, many of which might not be like this at all.

I have known people in positions of power that are not like the OP describes. Basically this topic is building a strawman and then shaming people for it.

Of course power corrupts, but not necessarily and always. If you have a strong character, power can't corrupt you. Was Jesus the Christ corrupted by power? He could heal the sick, he could walk on water, he could command nature and elements and they would obey. Yet, he spoke as the most humble entity in existence.

People in other worlds don't tend to let power go to their heads - they can hold positions of power steadily and with humility, and respect other people.

If you respect other human beings for the right reasons, no amount of power will be able to make you stop respecting them. If you only respect 'higher-ups', then of course you easily disrespect someone you have some kind of artificial, temporary and limited power over in some specific ways.

I am saying it this way to illustrate that even the 'power' in this world is often both questionable and illusory, as it pertains mostly to 'persons', not 'human beings' (as nothing is above 'human being' except the Creator of the Universe).

The government can only have power over someone if they are either a person (citizen, 'artificial person', legal fiction - because they performed a joinder), or if they have broken the law (in which case their human rights won't protect them, because they offended someone else's rights).

To use this world's example of humble people that do not let things go to their head; have you ever seen Shao-Lin monks? They're arguably the most physically powerful group on the planet, and yet they're very humble people - you give them a bowl of rice and water, and they won't complain, but instead, are grateful and eat it happily.

Can you imagine a female pop star doing the same?

There was one washed-out post-wall has-been, that acted like a Diva that can command Cleopatra - some lipstick on a glass or the wrong-colored bedsheet in a hotel, and she raised hell. Someone asked about her music.. (I should say "music"), she flew off the handle, started screaming insults and shouting and raged herself off the studio. Why was the question about her music insulting? Because it supposedly implied that the individual doing the interview hadn't LISTENED to her music, because he had the gall to ask QUESTIONS about it (I guess she didn't think that there might be people in the audience, who might not have heard her new "music" and thus might be interested to know the answers - whose benefit for the interviewer was asking these questions, regardless of if he had listened to the CD or not)..

Yes, sometimes very little is required for people to become completely egotistical maniacs, but you shouldn't make blanket statements like that.

It's not genetic, it's not innate, it's not behaviour - it's just that some people are small in spirit, they have young souls, and warped minds, and this crazy world isn't helping balance things at all, but it's like throwing fuel to fire. So of course you're gonna see this particular form of madness in this world - but go to any normal, good world, and you won't find it, no matter how hard you search.