I think this hits the nail on the head. I've thought a lot about the same curiosities you so brilliantly break down too, and I've come to two basic conclusions.

The first is as you say, our modern societies and advancements are very new within our species existence and perhaps we've bitten off more than we can chew in a sense. I think part of why the behaviors of today's "autocrats and wanna-be's" is because power, and the behaviors that people use to acquire and maintain it, have long been viewed as attractive. It's encouraged and sought after, and regarding men, it falls right in line with many toxic masculinity messages men are told -- which for a long time was held up by women opting for the "bad boy" while "nice guys finish last." It makes me curious of the genetic outcome of these choices.

The second part, which adds to the first, is that during this time of rapid advancements, our attention has been on the physical world rather than diving deeper into understanding our internal worlds/minds/emotions. There are of course reasons for delaying internal exploration. After all, technology like MRI or EEG machines and many more allow experts to study consciousness in a way like never before possible. But by focusing primarily on our external shared reality, we make assumptions, ignore, evade, and distract ourselves from what's going on inside -- leaving us more open to manipulations.

As I mention in the article, I do wonder what the long term impact of having power has on the human brain and how reversible it might be.

I hope that makes sense, ha! Thank you for sharing your ideas and for stirring my mind! It's always a pleasure to hear from you.