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Next, why psychopaths gain power https://youtu.be/PpyIZ4DGIK8
George Washington did not want to become President of the United States, but he accepted the position and did it well. This is how people should think about important leadership positions, according to how political scientist Brian Klaas views the role of power in society.
Klaas says that power should be a burden on people, because leaders must make decisions that will ultimately have negative consequences for many people. One problem: some humans don't care about these consequences. And, according to Klaas, our institutions are not very good at removing these people from important leadership positions.
Klaas suggests implementing psychological screening for top positions, asking questions to determine why someone seeks power and determining whether they are doing it for themselves or for the greater good. These measures can help ensure that the right people are in positions of power, whether running a business, governing a nation, or handling nuclear weapons.
0:00 Power should be a burden / Power should keep you up at night
1:18: Dark Triad Personality Traits
1:43 Machiavellianism
2:06 Narcissism
2:40 p.m. Psychopathy
4:04 Psychological screening for powerful jobs
Read the video transcript https://bigthink.com/series/explain-it-like-im-smart/leaders-should-be-psych-tested/?utm_sourceyoutube&utm_mediumvideo&utm_campaignyoutube_description
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About Brian Klaas:
Associate Professor of Global Politics at University College London, contributing writer for The Atlantic, author of Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, and creator/host of the award-winning podcast Power Corrupts.
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