>Why are we so charmed by bullies? If you've watched someone use restraint but sometimes that restraint seems to lead to bad consequences, then it can be a rel

>Why are we so charmed by bullies? If you've watched someone use restraint but sometimes that restraint seems to lead to bad consequences, then it can be a relief to see them finally lose restraint. E.g. the good guy who never kills the bad guy, and the bad guy escapes prison to do more harm (a classic comic book trope). Eventually the audience just wants the "good guy" to kill the bad guy. There is also an element of vicarious power fantasy, experiencing the thrill of doing what you want, getting away with it, and (in the case of political actors) being lauded for it. The positive association is not with the consequences of the action, but with the action itself. This is the nature of the seed of authoritarianism, and unfortunately it shares DNA with lots of good qualities so it cannot be entirely eradicated.