At what point does pursuing power become unhealthy? Psychologist Sheri Johnson of the University of California, Berkeley says that while having power can be good and bad, too much focus on gaining power can lead to mental health problems including mania and psychopathy. She also says that those who don’t meet their goals of attaining power are at high risk for depression and anxiety.

"My worry would be about the people who start to put too much focus on wanting to be more powerful, more famous, more influential, that that’s a dangerous place for them to be in from a mental health perspective. It shouldn’t be their primary focus in life."

Johnson explains that there are benefits to having power if pursued in the right way.

"People in power tend to be a little bit more optimistic about whether they’re going to get their outcomes. They are a little bit more action-oriented because action is often helpful when you’re in power. So you could pursue power in a very socially connected way, where you’re basically building coalitions, and that can be really adaptive and a great way to achieve power."