To predict how people will use power, you need to figure out what their motives, values and identities are before they have it. Are they generous givers or selfish takers?

Question

In another experiment, psychologists assigned people a set of tasks and let them delegate some to a colleague. People who tend to be “givers” claimed the long, boring ones for themselves and gave away the short, interesting tasks. So did more selfish people — when they lacked power.

But when they were put in a position of influence, the selfish “takers” stopped being fakers. They hogged the quick, exciting work and dumped the long, dull responsibilities on a colleague. You can even get this effect by just letting selfish people sit in the large desk chair in an office instead of the guest chair: They abused their assumed power and kept the easy, interesting work for themselves.

That’s what happened to Nixon: Sitting in the ultimate seat of power amplified his unethical tendencies.

“Power doesn’t always corrupt,” author Robert Caro has said, reflecting on Lyndon B. Johnson. “Power always reveals. When you have enough power to do what you always wanted to do, then you see what the guy always wanted to do.”

When we claim that power corrupts, we let powerful people off the hook. How you use authority reveals your character: Selfish leaders hoard power for personal gain. Servant leaders share power for social good. And the ultimate test of character for people in power is how they treat people who lack it.Why does the author believe it is important for the reader to know that power does not corrupt?

To prove that the famous quote was wrong.

To prove that the Stanford prison experiment was wrong.

So that good people in powerful positions are not accused of wrongdoing.

So that bad people in powerful positions do not get away with their wrongdoing.

Answer 1

The author believes it is important for the reader to know that power does not corrupt so that bad people in powerful positions do not get away with their wrongdoing. By emphasizing that power reveals character rather than corrupting it, the author highlights that individuals' true motivations and tendencies become apparent when they are in positions of power, allowing for accountability for their actions.