As the Russian military build-up and invasion of Ukraine has unfolded, I have spent more time thinking about how much humanity tolerates the concentration of significant power (or its proxy, extreme wealth) in small groups of individuals. For me, tackling this issue should be the key concern of our generation.

The smaller the set and the greater the power the set holds, the higher the risk of bad outcomes. The set is composed from human beings, therefore mental health, extremist or nihilistic tendencies will negatively affect the outcomes. Nuclear war is an existentially threatening outcome, but only one of many whose likelihood is determined by a small group of (fragile) individuals.

Why do people here think that historically the personality cult of leadership became so prevalent? And why are the existential risks of power concentration still so accepted given the evidence we see right in front of us?