Gray eminences, geniuses, psychopaths, and society

There are many forms of power, some more subtle than others. Sometimes, seemingly insignificant people can be the real power behind the throne. They hide in plain sight.

As I wrote in my Beware of the Z-Cult Among Us Kyiv Post article, the world is essentially shaped by three forces: geniuses, psychopaths and black swan events. Gray eminences often are geniuses, at times geniuses and psychopaths (God have mercy, what a lethal mix).

For some, the role of gray eminence is convenient because they are unlikely to be targeted. Who knows how many gray eminences truly pull the strings of terror groups and regimes? The kinds of people even our intelligence agencies know little to nothing about. Yet, these people are key players. I’ll go out on a limb here and assert that, likely, every terror group and every regime has such gray eminences. It can be anyone – for example, a former teacher of a nation’s leader. Gray eminences can very much be women because we still tend to trivialize and overlook women in political structures. Gray eminences scheme in the shadows, so getting ignored or underestimated is just what they want. It’s dangerous because without knowing who’s really pulling the strings, their psychological profile a mystery, you can’t know what to expect from a particular group. Then again, as the recent explosive examples show, surprises go both ways.

Gray eminences definitely aren’t official policy advisers you see on television. Rather, you’ll find them working for think-tanks, advising the rich and powerful. The gray eminence is an unofficial father (mother) figure who doesn’t fear political fallout, because most people don’t know he or she exists. Unfettered by hierarchy, these power brokers invent insidious intrigues to ensure their protege ascends to power. Today, we’d call it psychological warfare.

In order to make him less competitive, the younger brother of Louis XIV was raised as a girl. The idea was to make him think that political power just wasn’t for him. That way, he posed no threat to his brother’s ambitions.

Who was the ”Man in the Iron Mask,” known in French as ”L’homme au masque de fer?” Was he an heir to the throne, who had to be delegitimized by becoming faceless? Were these intrigues devised by the puppeteers behind the scenes? We’ll probably never know. Humans are capable of anything to eliminate the competition, as history cruelly shows. Not much has changed, we’re merely pretending to be civilized. Well, not even that, as October 7 and Ukraine show.

Another aspect of the gray eminence phenomenon is bringing about social change. Isn’t that what effective marketing campaigns do? Parallels can be drawn between the gray eminence phenomenon and well-executed marketing campaigns. In 1929, Edward Bernays came up with the first public relations campaign, linking cigarettes with women’s liberation. The “Torches of Freedom” campaign was a spectacular success. Most people don’t care when they see a woman smoking. Edward Bernays created the campaign which had a major impact on American society. Yet, not that many people know who he is. That’s a pertinent example of the gray eminence phenomenon.

How about the diamond engagement ring? Its popularity dates back to a century-old marketing campaign. Don’t you know that diamonds are a girl’s best friend? We take social customs, rituals and sayings for granted, when they’re the products of carefully crafted campaigns. You don’t want to wear makeup and heels? Look for another job. Social pressure is a powerful psychological weapon. Is there anything wrong with a clever marketing campaign? Of course not. It’s a work of art. It’s up to us, as individuals, to understand how we’re influenced every day if we want to live in smart societies.

Not caring about social influence techniques only makes us easier to control by the gray eminences of the world. Some people think they’re immune to manipulation. I don’t think it’s possible to be fully immune to manipulation. Just as free thinking isn’t entirely possible. Socialization overwhelmingly shapes our thinking and we all have biases. Even AI has biases. All we can do is strive to minimize the effects of social manipulation by monitoring and disciplining our thoughts or stepping away from our thoughts into the silence zone.

Gray eminence is a great job to have. How do people become gray eminences? There isn’t one path. Maybe it’s a childhood bond with the leader or some other VIP near the center of power. Maybe a particular leader is into the esoteric and asks his psychic for advice. Rumors are swirling that Vladimir Putin has such advisors. Shamans, mediums, and psychics. Some even say that his decision to invade Ukraine might have been influenced by such gray eminences. Who knows. I mean, foreign intelligence agencies must know this stuff. What if Putin’s psychic is a Svengali who manipulates Vladimir Putin and his circle to launch nukes? Impossible? Why? We’ve got to stop being linear thinkers, using our logic to profile Putin and others like him. 

A powerful nation needs to have a vetting apparatus at its disposal to ensure high-level government officials don’t fall victim to individuals with esoteric agendas. Otherwise, you’re going to have a guy who has no place in the corridors of power, influencing the elites of a nation to, say, start genocidal wars. So no, people who seem like harmless crazies can turn into influential monsters given the right set of circumstances.

What if someone working for an intelligence agency notices them online and concludes that these harmless crazies actually pose a future threat? Can these people be eliminated before their social clout grows and their followers become more numerous and more fanatical, even to the point of threatening the government? Would that be terrorism or acting in the interest of national security? One doesn’t need to exclude the other, as we well know. Hard questions abound. We’re now in a world where people who have no business being anywhere near policymakers are exerting their influence over them. How about doomsday cults plotting in the background? Don’t underestimate doomsday cults. All it takes is one deranged group releasing a deadly virus and we’re all in trouble. Well, we’re in trouble as it is, but you get my point.