Lord Acton, in an 1887 letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton,
famously stated that: “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts
absolutely.” It turns out that Acton’s observation was truer than he
could possibly have known at the time.
Dr. Ian Robertson has discovered that
there is a biological basis to the addiction of power. It turns out
that in both men and women, the exercise of power increases both the levels
of testosterone and 3-androstanediol (a testosterone by-product).* This
chemical surge, in turn, increases dopamine levels—a short-term reward for
the brain. Unfortunately, the addiction to power can simulate the
physical addiction to cocaine—producing short-term euphoria but also leading
to arrogance, impatience, egocentricity and lack of empathy. Most
sentient adults have observed such sub-optimal behavior in organizational
leaders of all kinds—with negative effects
everywhere.
Dr. Robertson, a professor of psychology
at the University of Dublin, is publishing a book, The Winner Effect: How
Power Affects Your Brain, on June 7, 2012 (Bloomsbury).
His analysis of baboon hierarchies provided key insights into the effects of
dominant behavior in groups, and the effect on group dynamics. Baboons
low in the hierarchy have low levels of dopamine. Once “promoted”,
however, dopamine levels rise—making them more
aggressive.
The jolt of dopamine does have an
upside—apparently, it increases the activity of the frontal lobes, making
people smarter for a while. But the net effects on relationships and
human happiness must be weighed in the
balance.
Dr. Robertson notes in the
article:
Democracy, the separation of
judicial powers and the free press all evolved for essentially one purpose –
to reduce the chance of leaders becoming power
addicts.
Organizations would be well-advised to
enable checks and balances on the raw exercise of individual power.
Lord Acton thought that power corrupts. Science backs him
up.
*https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/9228257/Like-baboons-our-elected-leaders-are-literally-addicted-to-power.html
*photo by D Gordon E
Robinson
