Power really does corrupt as scientists claim it's as addictive as cocaine

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2136547/Power-really-does-corrupt-scientists-claim-addictive-cocaine.html

More than a hundred years after noted historian Baron John Acton coined the phrase 'power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely' scientists claim the saying is biologically true.

The feeling of power has been found to have a similar effect on the brain to cocaine by increasing the levels of testosterone and its by-product 3-androstanediol in both men and women.

This in turn leads to raised levels of dopamine, the brain’s reward system called the nucleus accumbens, which can be very addictive. 

Addictive: Scientists have found power has the same effect on the brain as cocaine
Cocaine works in a similar way, which can have varied effects from increasing alertness, confidence, energy, feelings of well-being and euphoria, but also anxiety, paranoia and restlessness.
 
Power has almost identical effects to cocaine and too much of it can produce too much dopamine leading to more negative effects such as arrogance and impatience.

The claims by Dr Ian Robertson may go some way to explain the outlandish and impulsive behaviour of city fatcats, tycoons and celebrities.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph today, he said: 'Baboons low down in the dominance hierarchy have lower levels of dopamine in key brain areas, but if they get ‘promoted’ to a higher position, then dopamine rises accordingly.

'This makes them more aggressive and sexually active, and in humans similar changes happen when people are given power.
'Conversely, demotion in a hierarchy decreases dopamine levels, increases stress and reduces cognitive function.'

He added that power has also been found to make people smarter because dopamine improves the functioning of the brain’s frontal lobes.

Submissiveness and dominance also give similar effects through the same reward circuits of the brain as power and cocaine.
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My dopamine level is still high and I think I can can be a 'good' dictator  ;)!

Oh yeah. Money and power. Muammar Gaddafi for example was a dictators for about 33 year before they took him out.

Seriously though and I truely  believe any individual can be a good dictator.  Elections and re-elections are just a waist of time and money.

Throughout history. How many good dictators do we know out there? I know the one that run Singapore is doing a good jobs. Beside that I don't know.

There you go ;D!

You can called Sigapore one political party system. Same political party is in power since 1963. PAP-People Action Party.

Well they are doing well and I hope they do not change the system in the future. 

If they're doing a good jobs running the country like that, doesn't matter if they're dictators, capitalist or Communist. People will keep voting them to be in power.

China is sending some of their official to study in Singapore on how to run the country. I think some young Lao government officials also does that too, but I'm not 100% sure.

;D ;D ;D ;D.  Is not Singapore was part of China before?


llX wrote on 4^th May, 2012 at 7:20am:

If they're doing a good jobs running the country like that, doesn't matter if they're dictators, capitalist or Communist. People will keep voting them to be in power. China is sending some of their official to study in Singapore on how to run the country. I think some young Lao government officials also does that too, but I'm not 100% sure.

Singapore is run by mainly ethnics Chinese. They were colony by the British and was part of Maylaysia.

Are there statistics somewhere on Labour force in Laos?

Not sure, but most foreign company bring their own work. Laos worker don't have the right skill they say. That's BS :( cause you can teach people to do anything.

llX wrote on 29^th Apr, 2012 at 3:49am:

Submissiveness and dominance also give similar effects through the same reward circuits of the brain as power and cocaine.

I had to join to ask you this question! Is the article implying that being submissive is as good as being dominant, I am assuming it also makes you smarter?