Spanking, the first recourse of child abusers and the cornerstone of S&M sexuality, appears to be something that most CEOs have in their past. An informal survey conducted by USA Today revealed that many of our top captains of industry were "paddled, belted, switched or swatted" as children. At least one CEO admits that his dad was "a mean drunk" and several female execs fess up to having been spanked by their daddies as well. Although "child psychologists wince at such a finding", the pro-business spin is that the practice transformed these damaged individuals into paragons of discipline, detail-orientation and self-reliance.

Be that as it may. The line between corporal punishment and child abuse is a thin one, and the latter is known to retard achievement rather than promote it. Abused children often grow up to be abusers themselves, ranging from garden variety wife beaters to serial killers. Extreme physical abuse during one's formative years also cripples empathy - which would come as no surprise to the countless recent victims of ruthless downsizing and corporate greed.

Some have attempted to rationalize the experience of CEOs as typical of the child-rearing practices of the Baby Boomer era - a weak argument, considering that so many mothers raised their children according to the dictates of the notoriously permissive Dr. Benjamin Spock.

Read the articles at the links below and draw your own conclusions - or else. Only kidding... It is food for thought though, is it not? That the "achievements" of corporate tyrants and the "pathology" of violent criminals might actually have the same source?

"One thing CEOs have in common: they were spanked as kids " from AZCentral
"CEOs often were spanked as children" from Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon)