Dr. Bill von Hippel

It's super easy to look in other animals because they can't talk. They appease. They've got ways of shrinking themselves. It says, no, don't beat me up. Whatever you want is yours. And humans mimic some of that. We shrink ourselves when we want to not be intimidating. We elevate ourselves. We open ourselves when we want to be powerful and intimidating.

It's super easy to look in other animals because they can't talk. They appease. They've got ways of shrinking themselves. It says, no, don't beat me up. Whatever you want is yours. And humans mimic some of that. We shrink ourselves when we want to not be intimidating. We elevate ourselves. We open ourselves when we want to be powerful and intimidating.

But in humans, almost all humans, almost all the time, power doesn't emanate from our physical presence, but from what we're capable of. In some societies, America comes to mind, you demonstrate your power by showing your wealth, by showing what you can do, by being very in your face, I'm great at this. We're number one kind of thing. Many cultures don't like that.

But in humans, almost all humans, almost all the time, power doesn't emanate from our physical presence, but from what we're capable of. In some societies, America comes to mind, you demonstrate your power by showing your wealth, by showing what you can do, by being very in your face, I'm great at this. We're number one kind of thing. Many cultures don't like that.

The more collectivist your culture is, the more frowned upon that is, and the less likely you are to do it, even if you are the powerful. And then you get to cultures where the only person who ever, who puts himself down as the really powerful because they can afford to say, no, no, I'm nobody. You don't want to bother with me.

The more collectivist your culture is, the more frowned upon that is, and the less likely you are to do it, even if you are the powerful. And then you get to cultures where the only person who ever, who puts himself down as the really powerful because they can afford to say, no, no, I'm nobody. You don't want to bother with me.

And the second they say that in those cultures, like, ooh, this person runs the show around here. And so in a lot of cultures, the richest person is the one who dresses the most modestly. The most powerful person is because that's what the culture understands. But it's always you have to follow the cultural rules. And we're number one society. That's not going to work for you.

And the second they say that in those cultures, like, ooh, this person runs the show around here. And so in a lot of cultures, the richest person is the one who dresses the most modestly. The most powerful person is because that's what the culture understands. But it's always you have to follow the cultural rules. And we're number one society. That's not going to work for you.

Everybody's just going to think you're nobody. And so the rules of power vary dramatically by where you are, but you can always see that somebody who is relaxed and looks comfortable is probably a relatively high power person in that circumstance.

Everybody's just going to think you're nobody. And so the rules of power vary dramatically by where you are, but you can always see that somebody who is relaxed and looks comfortable is probably a relatively high power person in that circumstance.

Yeah. The thing is that we use those brands to compete for status, but they're already at the very top of the heap. They won that competition. And anybody who knows them knows that. And they're also, especially as you start to get rich, all the fancy brands, and then as you get even richer and you've been that way longer, it becomes less important to you because you've got status in other ways.

Yeah. The thing is that we use those brands to compete for status, but they're already at the very top of the heap. They won that competition. And anybody who knows them knows that. And they're also, especially as you start to get rich, all the fancy brands, and then as you get even richer and you've been that way longer, it becomes less important to you because you've got status in other ways.

He's just a regular millionaire. He's not the multi-billionaire that he is.

He's just a regular millionaire. He's not the multi-billionaire that he is.

Well, autonomy was really rare for our ancestors. They evolved to want both. They need connection to survive and to be part of the collective that will go on the hunt and do all the things that is necessary for living every single day. But they also need autonomy to choose where their real niche is going to be, what their best prospects are, how to stand out in the group.

Well, autonomy was really rare for our ancestors. They evolved to want both. They need connection to survive and to be part of the collective that will go on the hunt and do all the things that is necessary for living every single day. But they also need autonomy to choose where their real niche is going to be, what their best prospects are, how to stand out in the group.

Everybody has to be a hunter-gatherer, but you could still be the best arrow maker or storyteller or whatever. Make yourself valuable to the group. So you need autonomy so you can decide where you have best prospects and decide what you want to do and put your efforts into the domains that matter to you, where you think you'll succeed.

Everybody has to be a hunter-gatherer, but you could still be the best arrow maker or storyteller or whatever. Make yourself valuable to the group. So you need autonomy so you can decide where you have best prospects and decide what you want to do and put your efforts into the domains that matter to you, where you think you'll succeed.

But for ancestors, true autonomy was rare because if you guys, even though we all decide by consensus and you guys say you want to go south and I want to go north, I can't just go north when you go south or I'm going to be lion food. I've got to compromise or persuade you with my, you know, what I want to do, which means that opportunities for true autonomy were really rare for ancestors.

But for ancestors, true autonomy was rare because if you guys, even though we all decide by consensus and you guys say you want to go south and I want to go north, I can't just go north when you go south or I'm going to be lion food. I've got to compromise or persuade you with my, you know, what I want to do, which means that opportunities for true autonomy were really rare for ancestors.