Geek Native is home to some strange, quirky and unscientifically researched stats and this latest discovery is especially odd.
The blog has freebies and goodies to giveaway in competitions now and then. To qualify for a chance to win all readers need to do is answer a question. These results are then processed a bit later (or, a lot later in this case) and we reach our unrigorous answers. In this case, Geek Native readers were competing for a chance to win a copy of a thriller called Avarice and had to say whether they thought power corrupted, or not.
Just shy of 100 people took part in the poll and about 60% identified as a geek and 40% as non-geek.
Only 6% of geeks thought power corrupts which is a stark contrast to the 88% of non-geeks who thought power corrupts.
Why would there be such a staggering difference?
Why would geeks be less likely to think that power corrupts? Is it because we play the roles of powerful characters in all sorts of games? We’re used to the concepts of magic and superpowers and have read or watched good people use great power for benevolent causes?
Equally, what do non-geeks think of when we say the word ‘power’? It’s probably not likely to be magic or genetic mutation. Non-geeks might think of politicians and influential CEOs when they think of power and perhaps non-geeks think politicians and successful business people are more prone to corruption than the rest of us.
What do you think?
Creative Commons image credit: Evil King Ravana by Alik Griffin.
