I was listening to an interesting interview on NPR just now. A psychologist was saying that people who rise to power often regress into being more selfish after their selflessness had allowed them to get there in the first place. It's the paradox of competitive altruism, he said - a term I was unfamiliar with before today. Powerless people are more likely to share things like food around the workplace. In social networks, the one who gives the most, he quotes, is most likely to rise to a more powerful position. Their generosity elevates them in the light of others, and they are more likely to win elections or get promoted. But once they get there, an ominous change of heart begins to develop. When they are in power, they tend to lose the empathy skills that allowed them to connect with people. They are suddenly transformed into self-serving autocrats who scoff at the poor and do anything to retain their status, including cheating. Studies have shown that the rich are far more likely to disregard the misfortunes of others.
How ironic then that the nice guy doesn't “finish last”, as the saying goes, that he actually comes out on top in these cases. Yet he never really finishes the race, does he? The power corrupts him. He gets in the lead, stays there until his person is transformed, does everything he can to keep ahead at the expense of all those left behind, only to crash into a brick wall when the wheels sputter and he finally loses control.
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