This is something I’ve mulled and I agree and disagree. I will focus on the disagree part.
I notice a pattern. There are people who game things by being partial people. They cut out their empathy. Or they treat themselves poorly - this can be via stupid risktaking or through incredibly limited social connections (not in number but in connection). Or they pretend they are not afraid, when they are. (note I am not making a rule. Sometimes you have to take risks, not feel empathy, put yourself through hardship, etc. But here they have a tendency in these directions I consider pathological.)
These patterns can appear strong, certianly in the short term. Being a partial human works. It can work in the business world. it can work in many social communities. You seem strong. You do things. You get there first. You take credit perhaps when it is not due. You use people. You put your body in harm’s way and wiht a little luck then you are a tough guy. These patterns work really well in the criminal world, but they also work in the police world.
So when I look at many of the people considered strong, out there in society, I see these partial humans, who did effectively gamble, given the specific and incredibly limited goals they had considering they are social mammals, and who are successful. They look strong, at least to most people.
But they look like cardboard cutouts to me. And weak. See what happens when their narcissism is challenged. Out front they may continue fronting the strong image, but they will take enraged and terrified steps in secret to punish and elimnate threats.
The crash of 2008 was caused by a lot of alpha strong even very smart people. Winners. Winners who via risktaking, especially with other people’s money, but also pesonal risktaking, a very limited sense of what success is, often a lack of empathy, were able to lunge into successful roles and performances in the finance industry.
And the vast majority was never punished for what htis caused, in fact they were rewarded and are out there continuing to partial human their way through reality.
A lot of the ‘strong’ look like this to me.
I say they are weak because I don’t see much introspective courage or much faith in themselves as creative or deep people. Once you pare yourself down you can accomplish a lot, but you sold your soul, not in any literal sense, but in a real one.
So when we look out at the strong, I would like to see something more nuanced considered strong. Otherwise what rises to the top is poop not cream.