From Pine View Farm

Fatal Attraction 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, Ronald Riggio notes an oft-overlooked bit of obvious: Someone cannot be a leader without followers. He goes on to explore several reasons why persons choose to follow bad leaders–bad, that is, in the sense that they do bad things.

Here’s one of the reasons he suggests, one that I think is of particular import in the current state of our polity, where, if over half the registered voters show up at the polls, it’s considered an “overwhelming turn-out” and where puny turn-outs are common in state and local elections.

Many Followers Are Apathetic. Many of us put our leaders on a pedestal. We let them take the reins of power, and we look away, assuming that they will do the right thing. It is the obligation of good followers to hold leaders accountable for their actions and to call them out on their misbehavior. But too often we give leaders “a pass” instead, or we make exceptions for them. This is why many leaders get away with wicked or immoral behavior that followers and others could never get away with (“It’s OK because they are the leader.”).

Follow the link for the rest.

(Spellink errors fixed.)

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