Testable predictions:
you should feel measurably less guilty doing things that harm subordinates, than things that harm superiors
if you are the absolute alpha, guilt should disappear
if you are a local alpha, guilt should disappear in that local context, while reappearing in a context where your superior disapproves
Some of the existing psychological results seem consistent with such claims: http://lesswrong.com/lw/dtg/notes_on_the_psychology_of_power/
That seems remarkably similar to most people’s actual behavior within dominance hierarchies, as I have observed them.
Testable predictions:
you should feel measurably less guilty doing things that harm subordinates, than things that harm superiors
if you are the absolute alpha, guilt should disappear
if you are a local alpha, guilt should disappear in that local context, while reappearing in a context where your superior disapproves
Some of the existing psychological results seem consistent with such claims: http://lesswrong.com/lw/dtg/notes_on_the_psychology_of_power/
That seems remarkably similar to most people’s actual behavior within dominance hierarchies, as I have observed them.