Expansionism and Intolerance

We all know the manager who always says he needs more people to do the job. The manager who is always looking for extra work so he also needs more people. The manager who, after his department gets bigger, starts appointing team leaders to help manage the employee. The manager who likes to expand because it brings status, rewards and power. The manager who sits there for himself instead of working efficiently and effectively for the organization, employees and customers.

This example is probably very recognizable to people who have worked in larger organizations and have experience with such managers. But this behavior is not reserved for managers in larger organizations. Hunting and gathering is an ancient human trait and we see it in various forms. The executive taking over a smaller company. The investor expanding his portfolio. Kings who want to conquer more land. The Pope who needs more churchgoers. The common man in the street who wants a bigger house, a second car and as many vacations as possible.

Expansionism, however, is a problem. In the big but also in the small, because it is always at the expense of others. And it is never enough, because man will always seek new limits to satisfy his needs. The sooner you manage to curb your own urge to expand, the sooner you can be happy with what you have. People who are suddenly fired and kicked out of the rat race only later understand how lucky they were. In retrospect, they are happy about being fired because then they can begin to see what material prison they were in. Then they finally get around to the questions that really matter in life.

Those who have already risen too far to the top, however, never regain both feet. They have been addicted for too long and cannot get better. For them, it’s an all-or-nothing game. These are also the people who go overboard, because they also get used to that. Of course, there are exceptions, but what matters to me is the bigger picture. The managers are holding each other’s hands. The managers play each other the nice jobs. They maintain their network by continuing to play in the pyramid game. With good behavior, they hope to keep moving up the ladder. The game has become the goal.

Many ordinary people look longingly at the top and also hope to one day make some steps on that ladder to success. Fortunately for them, they do not qualify for it, because once addicted, you do not get rid of it easily. Just be glad if you just stayed. Be glad once you got thrown out. That summit is not real life, it is not reality. It is a play and the actors are fooling everyone including themselves. Addicted to status, reward and power. Sick expansionism. Do you recognize this? To what extent do you recognize this in yourself? Where do you stand?

The addiction has a serious side effect – intolerance. The manager does not tolerate dissent. The manager does not allow himself to be antagonized. Besides being a hunter and gatherer, man is also tribal. You are for me or you are against me. You work for me or you work against me. You believe me or you don’t believe me. As long as you participate you belong, but the moment you doubt you are out. Peer pressure is enormous and people want to belong. There is great intolerance toward dissenters and those outside the group who resist. Even intolerance towards those who do not allow themselves to be convinced.

Here we also see at work the many ideologies and religions that recognize only themselves. The cults that shut themselves off from the evil outside world, because it can move cultists to get out. The cult leader cannot miss anyone. The cult leader needs constant recruitment and is strongly focused on encapsulating newcomers as quickly as possible. Expansionism and intolerance. In big and in small. Make no mistake about the similar situations of board members in neighborhood associations. Those board members benefit from the status, (secondary) pay and power they have acquired. They don’t want to share that. It’s very human. Unfortunately.

Besides the earlier question of whether you recognize this and recognize it in yourself, there is another question. Do you want to belong to such a group or do you keep your distance? Most people who have a healthy mind stay away from a cult. But what about groups that seem less fierce. Do you follow the climate hype or do you continue to think for yourself? Do you allow yourself to mindlessly repeat propaganda or do you immerse yourself in the content? Are you allowed to be critical of your beliefs or does that have immediate consequences, and what does that mean? Can you break free from human expansionism and intolerance? Can you see it and distance yourself? Can you be free? Do you want to be free?

Nico Cost for GlobalSouth.co