They should have just asked me.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find the study described in this article a little squirrely? I'm not sure I believe that it's possible to artificially create a sense of entitlement in an individual.

Here is the upshot: Researchers wanted to understand how power and privilege make people hypocritical. It's a valid undertaking, for sure. The examples they used in the piece were Eliot Spitzer, Mark Foley and Richard Blumenthal--all politicians who had been caught either lying, cheating or engaging in moral transgressions which they, themselves, have publicly decried.

The study aimed to prove a connection between the acquisition of power and its subsequent abuse. I think it starts much earlier than that, though. I think those who are drawn to power are also somewhat drawn to take advantage of that power. This doesn't mean that everyone with a little bit of authority is going to abuse it; I just think the wiring is already there.

I think it's linked to attention-seeking behavior, in general. Yes. I believe that's the point I'm trying to make. I would even assert that this tendency is observable in young children, and if we picked out a few and followed them throughout their lives, we would not be surprised by what we saw in the end.

But you know I'll be back, adding updates to this post as my mind continues down this path.