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People say "power corrupts", but most of us - I hope - realize there's more to it. Positions of power actually *attract* people with the "dark triad" of personality traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy. And in many systems, these people are better than average at getting into power.

None of this is news. Nor is it news that this is one of the biggest problems in the world, with many states ruled by people like this, and others locked in struggles against - or between - such people.

The question is, what to do about it? Brian Klass has some ideas:

https://youtu.be/3eBN_9rMoVI?feature=shared

Mainly, he wants us to set up systems that tend to filter out people with bad traits as they rise to power in companies, bureaucracies, governments, etc. - and also scrutinize people who *have* achieved power.

What I don't see him saying is how to get out of situations where these people have already achieved power. I guess he's saying we should take full advantage of the places and moments where there's some room to set up better systems. We tend to focus our energies on the crises and fights of the moment rather than putting work into setting up good systems.

Haven't seen the "dark triad"? Check out part 2.

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