That is definitely a potential reason for people in positions of authority to act illogically and unfairly, but we never should allow that to be used as an excu

That is definitely a potential reason for people in positions of authority to act illogically and unfairly, but we never should allow that to be used as an excuse. We hold civil servants to a higher bar because they wield so much power yet are expected to be restrained in how they use it. I do tend to agree perhaps that there are more likely explanations for their actions than stupidity or corruption (as the GP suggested), but we should be wary when it comes to looking for signs of the latter, as a skilled corrupt civil servant / politician will always hide their malfeasance under the guise of slowness, stupidity, miscommunication, etc.