I think as a corollary to your comment, the following is also true: Someone who defines his/her own values is extremely unlikely to list "holding power over ot

I think as a corollary to your comment, the following is also true: Someone who defines his/her own values is extremely unlikely to list "holding power over others" as a primary goal. Yet many seemingly self-actualized people do end up in positions of authority. Why? I'd argue that power over others is, like some drugs, highly addictive and often corrupting. Mature, self-actualized people rarely feel a void that makes holding this power desirable, since they vastly prefer to be respected than to simply be obeyed. Yes there are some authority figures who are just and who inspire trust and motivation in others, but many others who appear this way at first and then disappoint -- I wonder how all the young Obama supporters feel now that he's expanded the drone program and continued all of Bush's most controversial and horrible policies.