Hubris and Bullshit: How Power Breeds Bias and Deception

Introduction: The Dangerous Relationship Between Hubris and Bullshit

Power has always been intoxicating. Those who attain wealth, security, and status often believe they have earned their place by merit alone, leading to a specific kind of hubris—an overconfidence that blinds them to their own biases and limitations. This phenomenon is deeply biological and cultural, shaped by evolutionary selection pressures, kin loyalty, and social hierarchy. But what makes this more dangerous is its connection to bullshit—the way in which those in power sustain their positions through narratives that reinforce their status, even when those narratives are built on deception or self-serving distortions of reality.

Hubris not only increases the production of bullshit but also reduces the motivation to challenge it, creating a dangerous cycle that shapes political, corporate, and social hierarchies in modern society.

The Biological and Cultural Roots of Hubris

Hubris is not simply a personal failing—it is a product of evolutionary selection pressures and cultural reinforcement:

Kin Selection and Self-Preservation Bias – Human beings are wired to prioritise themselves and their families above others. This evolutionary drive ensures survival but also fosters blindspots in moral reasoning.
Wealth and Power as Selection Forces – Across history, accumulating wealth and status has been a potent survival strategy. Those who secure resources for themselves and their kin tend to maintain dominance across generations.
Social Hierarchy Reinforcement – Societies have historically protected and legitimized status systems through beliefs, traditions, and structures that favor those at the top.
Psychological Blindness to Privilege – Once a person reaches a position of power, they often internalize the belief that their success is entirely deserved, ignoring external factors like luck, inherited advantages, or systemic biases.

These forces shape how individuals in power perceive themselves and the world, reinforcing a self-justifying worldview that makes them less likely to challenge their own beliefs—or the bullshit that sustains them.

How Hubris Sustains Bullshit

Hubris breeds bullshit because those in power need to rationalize and defend their dominance. This happens through several mechanisms:

1. The Self-Sustaining Narrative of Success

People in power often attribute their success to personal ability rather than external factors.
They create ideologies that justify wealth and privilege, such as:
- "Hard work always pays off."
- "Anyone can succeed if they try hard enough."
- "Meritocracy is real, and the system is fair."
These narratives ignore systemic barriers, inherited wealth, or social advantages, making them self-serving bullshit.

2. The Decline in Accountability

Power reduces the need for self-reflection or course correction.
People in leadership surround themselves with yes-men or those who reinforce their worldview rather than challenge it.
The cost of being wrong is often externalized onto society, employees, or the general public, meaning there is little personal incentive to engage in self-correction.

3. The Incentive to Sustain Bullshit

Those in power rely on deception to maintain their position, even if they start believing their own lies.
Corporate leaders, politicians, and the wealthy engage in PR-driven storytelling that hides failures or mistakes.
Challenging bullshit becomes dangerous—to do so risks losing influence, credibility, or social standing.

The Feedback Loop: How Bullshit and Power Reinforce Each Other

Once bullshit becomes a tool for maintaining power, it creates a dangerous feedback loop:

Power Creates Hubris → Those in power develop blindspots and justify their status.
Hubris Reduces Scrutiny → They ignore or suppress challenges to their beliefs.
Bullshit Becomes a Tool for Control → Narratives that reinforce their dominance are spread and institutionalised.
Challenging Bullshit Becomes Risky → Those dependent on power structures avoid questioning them.
Cycle Repeats → Power remains concentrated, and the incentives to challenge bullshit weaken further.

This is not just theoretical—we see it happening in real-time:

Political leaders defending indefensible policies while manipulating public perception.
Corporate executives profiting off exploitative systems while promoting misleading narratives about "social responsibility."
Wealthy elites using philanthropic efforts to launder their reputations, masking deep structural inequalities.

Breaking the Cycle: Can We Challenge Bullshit?

Overcoming the link between hubris and bullshit requires systemic and personal-level interventions:

Public Accountability – Greater transparency in governance and business practices can expose bullshit before it becomes institutionalized.
Media Literacy and Critical Thinking – People must be taught to recognize self-serving narratives, particularly those that justify wealth and power without scrutiny.
Cultural Shifts in Leadership – Encouraging humility and self-awareness among leaders can create environments where bullshit is less necessary.
Economic and Political Reforms – Addressing power consolidation and financial incentives that reward deception can limit the scope of hubris-fueled bullshit.

Conclusion: The Age of Hubris and Bullshit

We live in a time when power and deception reinforce each other more than ever. Those who ascend to wealth, political dominance, or elite social status are more likely to embrace and perpetuate bullshit narratives that sustain their privilege. Not only do they fail to challenge the misinformation that benefits them, but they also become increasingly blind to it themselves.

If we fail to recognise how power breeds hubris and how hubris fuels bullshit, we risk further entrenching hierarchies, deception, and self-serving ideologies that distort our collective reality. The question we must ask ourselves is: Are we willing to confront the bullshit that sustains the powerful, or will we continue to let it shape the world unchecked?