Quarter 2 Pretest: Power Intrigues The Human Mind

Quarter 2 Pretest Power is a phenomenon that intrigues the human mind in a unique, almost perverse sort of way. People with it often abuse it, and those without power envy those who do have it. But perhaps power is not something that we should crave, but instead, fear. Power corrupts the human mind's perceptions of self, of others, and of standard morals. It turns reasonable, even lovable people into at best, calloused individuals and at worst, criminals. The first thing that power exploits is the personal perception of themselves that a person might have. Business Insider gives advice on the topic of moving into power, suggesting people to “Act the part before you’ve got the part,” then adding that, “Over time, you will become more like you’re acting- self-assured, confident and mores strongly-convinced of the truth of what you are saying.” (Groth, 15 Tips On Becomig More Powerful) When a person has a lot of authority over them, they tend to see themselves as a smaller part of a larger unit- which is what a human is no matter how much or how little power they have. They have an honest view of themselves, of their unique capabilities,

As Mr. Keltner in a Wired article says, “People with lots of authority tend to behave like neurological patients with a damaged orbito-frontal lobe,a brain area that’s crucial for empathy and decision- making. Even the most virtuous people can be undone by the corner office.” (Lehrer, The Psychology of Power) People in power lose their connections and the perspectives of a “normal” person alarmingly rapidly, causing all the prostitution scandals, greedy money-sucking policies and just general rude, snobbish behavior. They see their power as an opportunity to be respected, admired or even worshipped- which causes them to lose all the traits that they had that made them worthy of respect or