Addiction is most commonly associated with drugs. It could be heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine, but no matter what it is, it often comes down to how the brain reacts to these drugs. It frequently involves one thing, dopamine. And because of that, addiction to things other than drugs is possible. It’s quite common to see people addicted to video games or to their phones and social media. But these aren’t the only kinds of addiction. Addiction to power is also plausible if someone reacts to power in a way that an addict reacts to drugs.
According to a 2014 article by The Conversation, power has a way of affecting the brain to impact dopamine levels and eventually lead to addiction. This addiction to power can lead to all kinds of change around the world. Leaders such as Adolph Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, Vladimir Lennon, Genghis Khan, and even Alexander the Great likely suffered from addiction to power. They all sought to expand their reach and control larger territories and fight bigger and harsher wars than the world had ever seen.
According to the article, addiction to power works much like an addiction to drugs. Instead of a bump of cocaine, it might be threatening a person of lower status with a punishment if they don’t follow your rule. A lot of this is seen in the show House of Cards. There won’t be spoilers here, but if you’ve seen the show, Frank Underwood is obviously addicted to power. Underwood does anything he can to find and exert his power over people he deems so much less than him.
The story itself is rather quite interesting. The best quote is:
“Much like addictive drugs, power uses these ready-made reward circuitries, producing extreme pleasure. In moderate amounts, dopamine can enhance dimensions of cognitive function, but may also make people impulsive, less risk-averse and less empathetic. High levels of dopamine are associated with a sense of personal destiny, risk-taking, preoccupation with the cosmic or religion, and emotional detachment that can lead to ruthlessness, and an obsession with achieving goals and conquests.”
This can explain many of the people that we see in power in our country. But perhaps the best example of it is in Venezuela at the moment. Currently, there is a massive power struggle in the country despite a mass number of starving people and civil unrest. The president, Nicolás Maduro, refuses to relinquish power at all costs and seems that he wants to consolidate it while protesters rage and fight on the streets. It’s a sad affair and neither side will come out looking like the victim.
Addiction to power can function in many of the same ways.
