Chapter 14
When Power Questions Everything

This chapter reveals a devastating pattern: we become so invested in defending our systems that we lose the ability to see their actual flaws. Gulliver genuinely believes he's describing a noble government, but his own words expose corruption, nepotism, and injustice. He's not lying—he's institutionally blind. This blindness operates through emotional investment and social pressure. When you're part of a system—whether it's your workplace, your family, or your community—you develop loyalty to it. That loyalty makes you interpret problems as exceptions rather than patterns. You explain away corruption as 'a few bad apples' or defend obvious dysfunction because admitting the truth feels like betraying your identity. The more you've invested in the system, the harder it becomes to see clearly. This exact pattern plays out everywhere today. Healthcare workers defend hospital policies that clearly harm patients because questioning the system feels disloyal. Employees make excuses for toxic management because admitting their workplace is broken threatens their sense of purpose. Family members enable destructive behavior because confronting it would mean acknowledging painful truths. Even customers defend companies that exploit them, like people arguing their overpriced phone plan is actually a good deal. When you recognize institutional blindness—in yourself or others—pause and ask the king's type of questions: 'How does this actually work in practice?' 'Who really benefits?' 'What would an outsider see?' Create psychological distance by imagining you're explaining the system to someone from another planet. Listen to critics instead of dismissing them. The goal isn't to become cynical, but to see clearly enough to either fix what's broken or make informed choices about your participation. When you can name the pattern of institutional blindness, predict where it leads to stagnation and exploitation, and navigate it by maintaining clear sight—that's amplified intelligence.