Vanity is a form of stupidity. In the current era, when political leaders, successful businesspeople, athletes, and artists behave like celebrities, rationality takes a backseat.
A recent event, in Europe, to discuss the prospects of war is an example of abundant vanity. The gathering to discuss plans to revive the armament industry and strategies for hybrid war had all the elements of a business-like fair; shiny logos, broadcasting, colorful auditorium, and paying audience. Political scientists, retired army officials, and politicians became instant celebrities, making predictions in interviews on the prospects of life and death. Peace and war were, once, subjects of sober discussions.
In a more mundane example, it’s easy to see how organizations feel compelled to expose their operations and activities via social media. Any internal get-togethers become news, turning participants into instant celebrities. Employees’s posts on social media accounts for a lager part of brand exposure, competing with traditional marketing and corporate public relations activities.
From the seven principles of influence, by Robert Cialdini (Reciprocity, Consistency, Social Proof, Authority, Liking, Scarcity, and Unity), social proof is the underlying source of influence of celebrities. The multiplication of celebrity-like behavior might be a symptom of increased authoritarianism.
The principles of influence are context-sensitive; the interaction among the seven elements of influence follows a pattern of dynamic dominance. When social proof is an endemic form of influence, it indicates an excessive presence of authority; less thinking and more complying. “If everyone else is doing it, it must be right.”
Authority can be a positive thing. People defer to experts with deep knowledge, leaders with an inspiring cause, or selfless visionaries. Einstein, Churchill, and Martin Luther King were positive authorities. They represented the hope for the better. On the other hand, negative authoritarianism is also common and easy to spot. It asks: comply; think not.
The Unconscious Skill 