Competition for power positions among elites is beneficial in moderation as it allows 'better ones' to rise, but when competition becomes too intense—when there are significantly more elite aspirants than available positions—it becomes corrosive to institutions and social norms, as competitors break rules to compete.

causalpending

Speaker

Peter Turchin

Evidence Quote

there's always more Elite aspirants people who want uh who want to get into Power positions and some competition is good because it allows the better ones to take the positions but if there competition begins to be too high too much of it too much competition is actually corrosive

Source

How do elites pave the way for social decay? | Peter Turchin x Brain BarBrain Bar
Created: 8/10/2026, 3:59:51 PM

My Notes

Loading notes...