We begin with three stories about three people.

First, Zhu Di, emperor of China from 1402 to 1424. In that period, it was traditional for foreign envoys to present gifts to the emperor and make a show of submission, reinforcing the emperor's authority and China's image as the center of civilization. Yet the emperor would send the envoys off with gifts in return, often worth more than the gifts the envoy had given - suggesting that the emperor's authority and dominance did not actually translate into much bargaining power.

Second, Kevin Systrom, one of the founders of Instagram. When Instagram was bought by Facebook for $1B in 2012, it had only 13 employees. Systrom presumably found himself with a great deal of money, the most direct form of bargaining power amongst humans. Yet with only 13 employees, he commanded little of the obedience or authority displayed by an emperor.

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Outline:

(01:47) Emperor of China: Dominance

(03:36) Instagram Founder: Bargaining Power

(05:19) Benjamin Jesty: Getting What You Want

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First published:
October 30th, 2024

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/ancAQBkfKPdcu2JDN/three-notions-of-power

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

“Three Notions of ‘Power’” by johnswentworth 08:01 Share

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“Three Notions of ‘Power’” by johnswentworth