A number of allegations show that many powerful men in the media, politics and technology have abused their power, and have benefited from those who were in higher positions than they did. Known personalities like Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer, Roy Moore, Sen. Al Franken and President Donald Trump have been accused of many negative things, from exposure to employees and colleagues, excessive ambition, to sexual abuses.People often ask: Is there anything about the rush of these people to be powerful, which makes them pass into so abominable actions?Science claims that unusual phenomena occur in the brains of powerful persons.
Decades of studies say psychology and physiology of powerful people are a bit different from those of ordinary people: based on the prefrontal cortex architecture and the way the heart pumps blood. Here’s what makes your brain and body sense of power, according to science:Power can hurt your ability to love othersDacher Keltner, a psychology professor at UC Berkeley, has been studying for decades the way the brain works. He also published his expertise on Pixar “Inside Out” emotions. Celtner’s research has shown that being powerful can damage our prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain that helps us understand how others feel. “Power makes it difficult to understand others,” says Keltner for Business Insider.Powerful people find it more difficult to imitate people with whom they enter or simply see.
The “mirror effect” of famous people is not as powerful as other people. This means that they are less able to imitate a person with whom they have made a conversation. A 2014 study, which tested the throwing of a ball by powerful persons and ordinary people, note that fewer areas were activated in the brains of powerful persons to imitate the movements of non-powerful persons.
The more power a person has, the less capable he will be to imitate others.Leaders can find it difficult to express their compassionThe vagus nerve that originates from the spinal cord and ends up in the stomach, is thought to be responsible for the expression of mercy, gratitude and appreciation. Celtner’s studies show that this nerve is “deactivated to powerful persons. He says this best explains the phrase “It’s hard to understand others how they feel when you feel powerful.”Some studies have shown that power makes people more likely to break the rules and less willing to share things with others.A 2011 study showed that people with the most expensive cars often stopped their drivers and were more exposed to pedestrian accidents. (Some say this is related to the fact that they are more likely to take risks). The same studies have also highlighted the situation where potent people were presented with a candy basket and told that they would be given to children.
It turned out that they were more greedy to get more candy from the basket.Higher income makes wealthy less generousA 2000-US study showed that people with higher incomes were less generous with others. While this did not happen in people who were enriched over time, but coming from poor families. They were equally generous, like poor people. This does not claim that all rich people are less generous, but a good part of them are such.Power can reduce stress levelsFor many years, hypothesis has been made that rich people may have the ability to better manage stress and display lower levels of it. They have low levels of cortisol hormone, stress hormone, and high levels of testosterone that provides protection from fears.
This also depends on gender, as women have about 1/6 of the amount of testosterone that men have. On the other hand, not every person with low levels of cortisol and high levels of testosterone is destined to be potent in the future.Power also affects the brain’s effects on the bodyIt has been noticed that powerful people have stronger heartbeat, as well as pumping a larger amount of blood from the heart into every blow. This causes a higher amount of oxygen in the blood to go to the brain.
In other words, powerful people can live healthier and do not easily develop cardiovascular disease.Powerful people who make money, live longer, healthier and have lower levels of stress.
