A recent podcast of the program Hidden Brain, interviewed Dacher Keltner, the director of UC Berkeley’s Social Interaction Lab. He spoke about some of the interesting scientific studies in how people interact with each other. When looking at how people in social settings gain power, studies find something that might seem counter intuitive. If we think about power as being able to dominate by scheming and maneuvering people into positions of disadvantage, the people who display altruism, kindness, and social intelligence, these are the people who gain power and respect from their peers. But there is a catch. Once these people become powerful, their power tends to undermine the very qualities that help them get there in the first place. Dr. Keltner says, “There is something about the seduction of power that makes you lose site of ethics and other people’s interest.” Twenty years of study on thousands of people has shown that any group of people, when first brought together, quickly evolves into ranking by social power. Often times, those who are boisterous and bullying start out grabbing attention, but over time they start to lose power and never gain the social position that they are seeking Meanwhile those who listen to others, who shows empathy and compassion, rise in the esteem and the ranking of their peers. We support those who listen to us, show us compassion and understanding, and are respectful of us and our ideas. We resist those who try to dominate us and who try
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