I'm reflecting on power junkies because of Boris Johnson's frantic attempts to be reinstated as prime minister and his reluctance to accept that he's had his day, he's disgraced himself, and he ought to just sit quietly on parliament's back benches.
I've never wanted power. I was always happy in quite low-level jobs where I had no power over anyone but I was just enjoying what I did.
In any case, people who gain power often find they don't have as much power as they were expecting. Former prime ministers for example have complained that their hands were often tied by legal restraints, rebellious MPs, unpredictable voters, media scrutiny and unexpected crises. How much power you have is always subject to other people's behaviour.
But that doesn't stop people wanting power. They love the adrenaline surge of having control over other people's lives, as well as always being in the public eye and indulging their pet obsessions. And like Boris, once they lose that power, they're desperate to have it back.
And unfortunately they often misuse that power. We're all aware of the regular reports of bribery, corruption, sexual abuse and nepotism linked to people in high office. They think they can get away with it and they frequently do.
I'm glad the power gene passed me by.
When more than usually frustrated with the antics of our masters I have moments of longing to do a
ReplyDeleteCromwell on them....but as I have no New Model Army behind me the urge quickly subsides. And to do what I would like to do to put the country on its feet again I would need an army to remove those standing in my way.
Fly: Yes, wouldn't it be great to have a personal army that could wipe out all the useless politicians?
DeleteLonging for power is mostly the desire to dominate others . These people are often narcists (not all) and want to "shine" . Not my kind of aim in life.
ReplyDeleteHannah
Hannah: I agree, quite a few of them are narcissists who want lots of attention as well as power.
DeleteThere are too many people that have huge ego's as well as power trips and have those kinds of positions.
ReplyDeleteMary: Yes, power and narcissism do tend to go together.
DeleteI do think politics and police attract those who are power hungry.
ReplyDeletePeople who are judges generally don’t go to law school to become a judge. They just happen to get a job working for a judge or other court position after law school and fall into it that way.
CEO’s tend to be workaholics who are willing to give up a normal life in exchange for power.
Bijoux: Judges in the UK are appointed by the independent Judicial Appointments Commission. I wouldn't know about CEOs being workaholics. Certainly it seems true of many Cabinet Ministers.
DeleteThe problem is that you'd have probably [almost certainly!] have made a better Prime Minister than Boris. People that don't want power would probably do better than those who do. There's something very wrong with our political structures.
ReplyDeleteGod forbid we end up back with Johnson and Trump - I think I'd give up and throw myself off a cliff.
Sx
Ms Scarlet: I just don't understand all those people who're still rooting for Boris despite his glaring incompetence, his endless lying and his shameless self-promotion.
DeleteThe power gene passed me too Nick. I understand the need for success, but not the ego of people craving power, and all too often it's accompanied by greed. I HATE greedy people, and when they have the power too it can impact on the rest of us.
ReplyDeletePolly: Very true, the craving for power often goes hand in hand with greed. Who really needs four houses or four cars or four swimming pools?
DeleteI think it's largely a matter of evolved primate instincts which persist in humans even though they no longer serve much purpose, like the behavioral equivalent of the appendix.
ReplyDeleteIn almost all primate species that live in large social groups, there's a distinctive pattern of social organization: males organize themselves into a dominance hierarchy, and females preferentially mate with males who have higher status in the hierarchy. Status is achieved and displayed by asserting dominance over "lower" males in various ways -- getting them to back down via threatening displays, defeating them in fights, etc. Chimpanzees, our closest relatives, exemplify this pattern.
Because females prefer to mate with high-dominance males, those males who are most determined and successful at asserting dominance are the ones whose genes get perpetuated, and so the behavior pattern is reinforced.
It's not hard to see the same kind of pattern in human societies. The genetic predisposition to want to be dominant over others has been reinforced in males by selective breeding for millions of years, and continues to operate even though in a modern civilization it often leads to dysfunctional behavior.
Infidel: I don't think it's simply a question of "evolved primate instincts". There must also be social conditioning - the influence of parents, friends, teachers, media etc who encourage the pursuit of power. The media especially focuses on power and those in powerful positions.
DeleteToday is election day in NSW. I'm hoping we get rid of the depressingly corrupt, vandalous, dirty powers that be
ReplyDeleteKylie: I'm hoping you do too. Cross fingers!
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