In May 2011, the world was shocked by the alleged rape of a chambermaid by IMF CEO Strauss-Kahn. A man who is pretty much the most powerful man in the world financially. Sex and power seem to be linked. Because other powerful men such as Bill Clinton, Silvio Berlusconi and Ruud Lubbers also came into disrepute due to sexual excesses. Why power becomes erotic, but also why men with power abuse sex.
Power: everyone in a position where people look up to him or her has it
Whether it is the bartender, the tour guide or the top executive of a government: they all have some form of power. That of the tour guide is more limited than that of the President of the US, but for a group a tour guide also has power and an exceptional position. He determines what happens. This is no different with a bartender: he also determines what happens in a bar and whether the ladies in front of that bar are treated nicely or not. But that power often also creates a power vacuum. Those on the other side become idolized by the person in question and that takes him to a higher level. He thinks, as it were, that he can make anything. And those who do not attribute all this to him are sometimes cruelly confronted with the facts. The gentlemen (and possibly also ladies) in question simply use their power to get what they want without taking into account whether the other person wants it too.
What does power do to people?
Power has about the same effect as alcohol. People become disinhibited by it and a kind of narrowing of consciousness often occurs. In that situation, people often take more risks, including or especially in the sexual area. A person who feels that he has a lot of power has a strong influence on human thinking. Research has actually shown this.
Did Strauss-Kahn really do it?
Research has yet to reveal whether Dominique Strauss-Kahn really assaulted the chambermaid. The court determined that this was not the case. But it wouldn’t be surprising if that were indeed the case, especially when it emerged again in early 2012 that Strauss-Kahn was involved in another scandal. He is said to have regularly organized parties with prostitutes. It is not punishable that he himself sleeps with prostitutes, but using them for all kinds of activities is. Why the man who just before saw his job disappear due to his escapades often seeks danger again has to do with the fact that people with power pursue their own goals much more than others. They just take what they want and what they like and enjoy. They do not take into account what the other person wants or does not want. It has now even become apparent that it is precisely people with power who very easily violate rules of decency that they believe others should adhere to. Moreover, the IMF CEO is not the first to be discredited due to his escapades (and this is also not the first time that he himself has been discredited). In addition to Strauss-Kahn, Silvio Berlusconi, Bill Clinton and Ruud Lubbers also made the news in the same way.
Those in power take too many risks
Those in power often take risks and often have a blind spot for matters that could threaten their position or their personal lives. They think they can make anything without being punished for it. They also ignore much more that they too can lose at some point. In fact, it doesn’t even occur to them. But that applies to all people with power; whether that is the boss of a company with 4 employees or an entrepreneur who manages 300 people.
Power eroticizes
In addition, people with power can often make much more than people without power. Someone who has power and has made it is often found attractive. This applies to both men and women. The ease with which people subsequently present themselves for their own pleasures often changes their behavior as well. They start to behave according to what they are given and at a certain point they find it completely normal that they get everything they want. They often include:
- Quite dominant
- Looking at others for too long
- Touching others in places most people don’t want to be touched
People in power accused of sexual escapades: Surprised by allegations or reports
The fact that there is a sequel to a sexual escapade often surprises many people in power. In their power thinking, they do not think that that can happen to them, that someone will do that to them, because they still feel they are above the pack. If it does happen, they often remain in denial for a very long time. For example, Bill Clinton continued to insist that he had not had a sexual relationship with Monica Lowinski until proven otherwise.