Many people share the worldview that those who are higher up in the hierarchy of power are the most capable or deserving of such positions.
So when those leaders start acting in a way that is irrational or clearly damaging, there's a pretty strong cognitive dissonance. There are two ways to deal with it:
- Assume that, since they're the higher-ups, they must know what they're doing. Therefore there must be some sort of plan that you're not able or supposed to understand.
- Reassess the notion that the higher-ups are always the most capable or deserving people, and assume there's a chance for inept people to access positions of power.
The first one is the path of least resistance, since it doesn't require challenging a fundamental pillar of your worldview.
So when those leaders start acting in a way that is irrational or clearly damaging, there's a pretty strong cognitive dissonance. There are two ways to deal with it:
- Assume that, since they're the higher-ups, they must know what they're doing. Therefore there must be some sort of plan that you're not able or supposed to understand.
- Reassess the notion that the higher-ups are always the most capable or deserving people, and assume there's a chance for inept people to access positions of power.
The first one is the path of least resistance, since it doesn't require challenging a fundamental pillar of your worldview.