Quote:
Originally Posted by MLE
I've also noticed that while the people in this sub-forum probably have a net higher intelligence than the general rest of the boards, there is way more actual anger and vitrol here. Can someone explain that to me?
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Ignorance, perhaps, is truly bliss. With due respect to all posters, though, I wouldn't equate the use of highfalutin lingo with intelligence. Big words can be a nice smokescreen for a lack of real understanding.
The way I see it (and I'm not intelligent, so bear with me) is that people with or without power want more power partly because that is the nature of ambition. There is no ceiling or cap on desire, and people who want something bad enough will go to any lengths to get it and keep it. There's also a factor which no one has mentioned: addiction. People get addicted to power, so like any addict they want more and more.
Power makes perfect sense to me. Besides natural ambition and addiction, there are also the longings for control over one's life and to leave a legacy. People of meager means can exert less control on their lives and on others than the affluent. Most people like being in control of things because it gives them (perhaps illusory) control over their destiny. As far as legacy, it all boils down to the fact that the more powerful and/or influential you are, the better your chances of being remembered. It's a back door route to immortality, and it's certainly served Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar well.