> That stuff is not the way you become powerful, it's a perk of power to be enjoyed. Well, I don't know. I partly agree. First of all, I don't think it's a "pe

> That stuff is not the way you become powerful, it's a perk of power to be enjoyed. Well, I don't know. I partly agree. First of all, I don't think it's a "perk" that people who did not have that kind of personality in the first place would like to enjoy. I also think that there's an inverted funnel of empathy when it comes to people in leadership positions, because the larger a group becomes, the more beneficial "maneuvering" becomes and the less beneficial "classic" emphatic traits becomes that would make you likable in a smaller group. > the people just arrived at their positions of power via their parents, their background, and their connections, not through shrewd Machiavellian manoeuvring. I think it's pretty safe to assume that anyone that grew up with "powerful" parents will have a pretty Machiavellian personality by default just based on the context they grew up in, so even if they get the position completely on the merits of nepotism I think it's pretty unlikely they will be very empathetic and "bleeding heart" kind of people. There are scientific studies for example that show that empathy decreases with material wealth.[1] [1]: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-wealth-reduces-compassion/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-wealth-reduce...