[vintermann]

But people do not value hierarchy for its own sake. They value hierarchy when they're on top of it, or at least in the top half. There are not actually fundamentally different values, but different interests.

[Terr_]

It's a mistake to assume that it's just about advantage or greed.

People even relatively far down may believe The Hierarchy offers predictability and stability—even if I think their belief is incorrect.

Authoritarians tend to be fearful, and it offers a partial answer to those fears.