The Society of Problem Solvers
Both systems are too easy to corrupt. We must build something new that is transparent, decentralized, antifragile, and 100% controlled by the people. One that also uses group psychology for good.
At the center of this dynamic lies a critical and often overlooked vulnerability: centralized human decision-makers. Politicians, regulators, executives, and institutional leaders act as gatekeepers of power. Importantly, this is not a moral indictment of individuals. Rather, it reflects a fundamental insight from psychology and behavioral science: all humans are susceptible to corruption under the right conditions.
Research consistently demonstrates that power alters behavior in most people. The Stanford Prison Experiment, despite its methodological criticisms, illustrated how quickly individuals internalize roles associated with authority and control. More robust findings come from subsequent work in social psychology, which shows that increased power is associated with decreased empathy, greater risk-taking, and a higher likelihood of self-serving decisions. Studies by researchers such as Dacher Keltner have shown that some individuals in positions of power are more likely to act in ways that prioritize personal or in-group benefit over collective welfare.
To many of us in the real world, this is almost common sense. Behavioral economics further reinforces this point. Even modest incentives can significantly influence decision-making, particularly in environments with limited transparency and weak accountability. Corruption, in this sense, is not an anomaly but an emergent property of poorly designed systems. When structures allow for asymmetric information, opaque processes, and concentrated authority, they create conditions in which self-interested behavior can flourish.
In our past articles, we call these “Power Over” (the people) systems VS “Power With” systems.
If this is true, then any system that relies heavily on centralized decision-makers is inherently fragile. It will function effectively only so long as those individuals remain aligned with the public interest, a condition that is historically rare and difficult to sustain, especially when the people trying to game the system use military-grade propaganda and meritless group labels to divide and control the masses and infiltrate the systems.
