When the Powerless Rise Up
The Legitimacy of your Power Affects how you use it.
"The research shows that when given legitimate power, participants were more likely to take action than those legitimately assigned to a position of powerlessness. When power was conceived illegitimately, the powerful no longer took more action and risks than the powerless."
Those who should be in positions of power were smarter with that power and actually acted with that power. Those who were not in power when they were supposed to be in power tended to act as if they had power when illegitimates were in power. And, very importantly, those who were in power but weren't supposed to be tended to not use that power well or not even use the power at all; in essence they were afraid of the tool they had and didn't yield it.
Another study I read showed that people who had power were more able cognitively because of being assigned that power, whereas those who were assigned to low power positions lost some of their cognitive abilities.
What the first studies say is that human beings innately know when we should or shouldn't be in a position of power. The second study shows that simply being put in a powerless positions tends to make us less able. This lends credence to the theory that success breeds success and also explains a little the continuance of power.
But another interesting thing was shown, and this interests me even more. Those who were supposed to be in power but weren't tended to act as if they were in power more so. This gives me a sense of joy about the human species, which in essence is like any other animal on the planet. You take away my evolutionarily given rights and I will find you and take them back.
"The research shows that when given legitimate power, participants were more likely to take action than those legitimately assigned to a position of powerlessness. When power was conceived illegitimately, the powerful no longer took more action and risks than the powerless."
Those who should be in positions of power were smarter with that power and actually acted with that power. Those who were not in power when they were supposed to be in power tended to act as if they had power when illegitimates were in power. And, very importantly, those who were in power but weren't supposed to be tended to not use that power well or not even use the power at all; in essence they were afraid of the tool they had and didn't yield it.
Another study I read showed that people who had power were more able cognitively because of being assigned that power, whereas those who were assigned to low power positions lost some of their cognitive abilities.
What the first studies say is that human beings innately know when we should or shouldn't be in a position of power. The second study shows that simply being put in a powerless positions tends to make us less able. This lends credence to the theory that success breeds success and also explains a little the continuance of power.
But another interesting thing was shown, and this interests me even more. Those who were supposed to be in power but weren't tended to act as if they were in power more so. This gives me a sense of joy about the human species, which in essence is like any other animal on the planet. You take away my evolutionarily given rights and I will find you and take them back.
Labels: acusticthoughts, power, psychology
posted by AcusticThoughts at
03:35
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