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> "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." There's a corollary here. I think a probably-more-precise description is that corruption is

> "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." There's a corollary here. I think a probably-more-precise description is that corruption isn't just caused by the presence of power, it's the result of the disparity between power and wisdom. If you increase power without increasing wisdom, you'll see more corruption. If you have absolute power, you probably don't also have absolute wisdom (if such a thing is even conceptually possible). There's a second corollary here: Power doesn't only corrupt the one that wields it. Its mere presence can sour others. (Envy, greed, etc.) In a similar vein, people also love to say that knowledge is power, but I think "information asymmetry" fits better. (Also, power is inherently temporary.)

osullivj 9y ago
It's not simply the holding of power that corrupts. 10 years ago I was a tech Director at an investment bank. The politics were brutal, so I quit. I returned a couple of years later as a contractor, and found some people treated me differently. They were no longer interested in chatting, and didn't laugh at my lame jokes. Other people treated me the same; they were my real friends. When you have power and influence, even if relatively minor, people will suck up to you. You may not be aware of it happening. It's insidious, and it will corrupt you if you're not on your guard. Some people enjoy it; in my experience they're often dangerous.
- CiPHPerCoder 9y ago
  > They were no longer interested in chatting, and didn't laugh at my lame jokes. Was this because: A. They never liked your "lame jokes" in the first place and were behaving without integrity in the past? B. The politics got to them and they ceased to enjoy the finer things in life? I like puns. When I was depressed years ago, I had a hard time laughing at any jokes, even really clever puns. I also became quieter and more reserved. It's very likely you've got anecdotes that would support A over B, but as an outsider, I'm cautious to assume. :)

osullivj 9y ago

It's not simply the holding of power that corrupts. 10 years ago I was a tech Director at an investment bank. The politics were brutal, so I quit. I returned a couple of years later as a contractor, and found some people treated me differently. They were no longer interested in chatting, and didn't laugh at my lame jokes. Other people treated me the same; they were my real friends. When you have power and influence, even if relatively minor, people will suck up to you. You may not be aware of it happening. It's insidious, and it will corrupt you if you're not on your guard. Some people enjoy it; in my experience they're often dangerous.

CiPHPerCoder 9y ago
> They were no longer interested in chatting, and didn't laugh at my lame jokes. Was this because: A. They never liked your "lame jokes" in the first place and were behaving without integrity in the past? B. The politics got to them and they ceased to enjoy the finer things in life? I like puns. When I was depressed years ago, I had a hard time laughing at any jokes, even really clever puns. I also became quieter and more reserved. It's very likely you've got anecdotes that would support A over B, but as an outsider, I'm cautious to assume. :)