More about Why Assholes Rule the World…

Part I summarizes academic studies of assholes (yes, such a thing actually exists). The rise of Donald Trump provides us a case study, where we identify specific behaviors such as narcissism and bullying, as well as how “the system” helps to facilitate the rise of antisocial personalities.

Part II incorporates the findings of social psychology, particularly as it relates to social identity, dominance, and the dynamics of power relationships. Not surprisingly, asshole behavior is aggravated by hierarchical relationships, especially those that are institutionalized. The asshole in charge convinces everyone else that he is superior and deserving. Others discover that catering to the asshole increases their own chance of rising in the hierarchy, which further reinforces the asshole’s power and influence.

Part III incorporates the author’s ongoing analysis of workplace dysfunction (specifically its power imbalance) in the context of asshole theory. Many of us are overstressed or overworked (which can segue into asshole behavior ourselves) and/or constantly inferiorized and precariatized (which makes us submissive and unlikely to resist an asshole). We look at the phenomenon of mobbing, where the bully impulse infects the group and is condoned by the organization.

Part IV looks at social psychology research to explain why so many of us acquiesce to assholes even if we are not directly threatened by them:

• Fear of change and intolerance of ambiguity leads to demands for a “strong man,” particularly one who is willing to do whatever is necessary to keep “the other” in their place.
• Just World Theory describes a psychological propensity to believe that the world is fair and that people get what they deserve. It not only justifies the asshole in power, it is the source of a “blame the victim” worldview
• System justification is the rationalization of the status quo, particularly hierarchies of power and privilege. This is the “enemy in our head” that presents one of the biggest obstacles to social change
• False consciousness works like system justification, but it is usually created by deliberate propaganda rather than the result of innate psychological defense mechanisms. False consciousness is what urges us to identify with the assholes in power, even when their behavior is contrary to our own well-being.

Part V is about larger cultural and system processes that aggravate asshole behavior:

• Austerity creates feelings of shame, humiliation, powerlessness, fear, distrust, and loneliness, as well as negatively impacts our ability to think critically.
• Hyper-competition and extreme inequality impose a plethora of deleterious effects on a healthy, functioning society. Here we look at real data from the winner-take-all economy as well as studies by the epidemiologists Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. We also see that extreme inequality has been correlated with moral hazard as well as an increase in asshole behavior.
• Increased social stress has resulted in a defensive retreat into groups and communities that reinforce one’s own culture and ideology. The result is a form of tribalism and identity politics, where people are hyperconscious of their differences and unable to see what they have in common.

Part VI puts together the feedback loop model of how asshole behavior is reinforced by a confluence of personality characteristics, external stressors, psychological defense mechanisms, and cultural corruption. As more assholes gain power (and/or more of us succumb to asshole behavior ourselves), stressors on all the rest of us are increased, resistance becomes more difficult, and our sense of trust and community corrodes even further.

This is not something we will be able to “fix” all at once, but the model shows us the location of pressure points to focus our efforts.