Warriors: Explained

01: The Psychology Behind Leadership

The following chapter contains spoilers for the main Warriors series.

A leader is what drives the Clan. It's what determines if a war will be won, if the Clan will survive leaf-bare, if the warriors will end up with horrible names. And whether a leader is feared, respected, hated, loved, or appreciated, there is some level of psychology involved in his leadership.

Many monarchies are hereditary, which gives the people underneath them the belief that the king's blood is holy and often related to their religion. [1] But, in the Clans, the leader is appointed via the deputy position. Still, religion is involved, for leaders gain their nine lives by the blessing of StarClan, though they seem to live just as long as the average warrior.

So, cats who are leaders typically have leader-like qualities. But what are these qualities?

Well, leaders tend to be very confident. If someone else acts like they know what they're doing, it's natural to assume they do. Leaders also have to be very inspiring to prepare their cats for battle, to push the Clan through hard times. They're also patient, open-minded, generally positive, stoic, and persistent cats. [2]

For example, Firestar was a great example of a leader. He was confident in his abilities, but he wasn't perfect—he would turn to other cats in his Clan for help. He was patient, giving Dovepaw a chance when she told him about the beavers. He was open-minded, creating an alliance with WindClan when, before, Clans didn't tend to band together like that. He was positive on many issues, always trying to see both sides of the story and accepting cats into the Clan. 

But, what really makes someone respect a leader? Why do the cats know that a leader is a powerful cat, who they do listen to, even if they dislike them?

Well, it all boils down to instincts. A cat who is being confident would probably know what they're doing, so they'd have a greater chance of surviving. And if what a cat is confident about leads to a greater chance of survival, then generally, others will follow the example. [3]

This leads us to the psychology behind confidence... what really is confidence? 

According to Psychology Today, confidence is, "a belief in one's ability to succeed". [4] 

In humans, the hormones that control confidence are testosterone (more testosterone is related to higher confidence) [5], cortisol (lower levels are associated with lower anxiety levels as well as a stronger ability that deals with stress), and oxycontin (also known as the 'love hormone', but shown to lead to lower anxiety levels and improves "emotion regulation decrease avoidance behavior" [7]). 

I couldn't find any information on the hormones regarding confidence in cats, but it's safe to say that these exist (of course differently than humans) with the same functions. 

Hormones, instincts, and the appointment monarchy of the Clans is what makes a leader powerful.

Sources:

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy
[2] https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/270486
[3] I pulled this part out of my butt lol
[4] https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/confidence
[5] http://bignaturaltesticles.com/testosterone-and-confidence/ <-- don't question this one okay
[6] http://jamesclear.com/body-language-how-to-be-confident
[7] http://oxytocin-confidence.blogspot.com/2012/02/oxytocin-changing-brain-function-to.html

⌁ by Rio.⛈