Why We follow Decisive Leaders

 





 
 The following is an answer to a question regarding why people gravitate toward the Ron Hubbards of this world and others with  strong certainty and decisiveness on how to run groups . She found Hubbard to not be attractive or classically charming . Many leaders are not nice lovable people but instead firm in their convictions , particularly their belief in their own rightness .

There's a hypothesis in social psychology I will butcher with oversimplification and have professionals ready to castrate me over . The super short version is that in evolution we have needed decisive , quick thinking and even more quick acting leaders . If thousands and thousands of years ago groups could act and react quickly and with a degree of unity and direction it could help them to live and function better than if they have an uncertain , too cautious and particularly too indecisive and either slow acting or even worse reluctant to act and unable to make any hard or important decisions leader .

Evolution paradoxically selects strong , confident , certain , fast acting leaders. But the most certain and confident people are narcissists and sociopaths. They present themselves as strong and assertive , confident and decisive. They do this easily as their sense of superiority frees them from self doubt and their lack of empathy makes tough decision making for others easy for them . They don't mind breaking eggs to get omelettes - or breaking promises , killing enemies or friends to get gains for themselves.
By being unfettered by morals or standards of human decency they play life as a very different game than others who can be constrained by morals , conflicted by consequences and conflicts of interest.

That is a natural dichotomy - we need strong decisive, clear leadership to live and thrive but we cannot survive well if we submit to totalistic , antisocial , abusive or narcissistic leaders .

We have to in my opinion recognize and address our desires , nature and needs honestly and as sensibly and logically as possible . I cannot pretend to know the best or any proven political system or solutions for this but I can suggest this as a starting point for consideration .