As power destroys the brain

How often we hear and make sure that power corrupts people. In fact, the feeling of power has a direct impact on the brain. Let's see what happens in the mind of influential people.

Power inhibits the ability to empathize

The historian Henry Adams (Henry Adams) described the power as a "tumor, destroying the victim's ability to empathize."

Psychologist Dacher Keltner (Dacher Keltner) came to the conclusion that under the influence of power people behave impulsivelyNot aware of the risk and can barely put yourself in the other person.

StudyWhat Does not Kill You Will Only Make You More Risk-Loving: Early-Life Disasters and CEO Behavior. Published in The Journal of Finance in February 2016, has shown interesting results. It turns out that the leaders, who as a child survived the disaster with many victims are less inclined to take risks. And those who survived the disaster, which killed so many people do not, on the contrary, willing to risk.

Neuroscientist Suhvinder Obi (Sukhvinder Obhi), engaged in brain research, compared the brains of people, endowed with varying degrees of power. He found that endowed with greater authority violated the processes are likely responsible for empathy.

Power reduces the ability to recognize other people's emotions

In the fall of 2016 at a meeting of the US Congress MPs questioned John Stumpf, the now former General Director of Wells Fargo Bank. They accused him of the fact that about 5000 employees of the bank (which were subsequently dismissed) for several years opened more than 2 million of fictitious invoices for their own benefit5,300 Wells Fargo employees fired over 2 million phony accounts. . Many are surprised behavior Stumpf at the meeting. The man who headed one of the largest banks in the world, had seemed unable to understand the emotions of his interlocutors. He looked lost. It could not bring to life even expressed aloud surprise some people ( "He's probably joking!", "I can not believe what he says is").

Influential people difficult to understand the feelings of the person depicted in the photo, or to predict the reaction of colleagues at any point.

They cease to repeat gestures and facial expressions interlocutor, although people have a this feature.

according to a studyControl, Interdependence and Power: Understanding Social Cognition in Its Social Context. psychologist Susan Fiske (Susan Fiske), power reduces the need to read the emotions of people, because it gives us the fact that previously had to defraud others.

As people, endowed with power, are less able to understand the behavior of others, they are often stereotyped thinking and rely on their own vision.

Paradoxically, because of the power of a person loses those abilities, which have helped to achieve it.

Methods of dealing with the adverse health effects of power

Temporary power (for example, the post of the head of some student organization) does not change the brain as it makes constant power. And it is quite difficult to stop this effect. Sometimes it's easier to stop feel his power.

That power is not spoiled person, he needs to come down from heaven to earth.

It happens that an influential man helps sober up someone from the family. For example, Winston Churchill helped his wife. And Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, said that her mother told her to "leave the crown in the garage."

David Owen, former British Foreign Secretary, in his book "History of the disease. Ailments statesmen of the last century, "talked about the diseases of British prime ministers and American presidents. For example, Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke, Anthony Eden was suffering from drug addiction, Lyndon Johnson and Theodore Roosevelt may have suffered from bipolar disorder.

According to Owen, the leaders are subject to the so-called hubris syndrome - mental disorders from the possession of power. It is characterized by an arrogant and reckless behavior, loss of contact with reality, and the demonstration of their own incompetence. Owen founded the organization daedalus TrustThat studies and fights hubris syndrome.

Himself David Owen prevents this syndrome as he reminisces about his actions, helping to subdue pride, watching documentaries about ordinary people and always read the letters of voters.