My wife bought a book from a used book sale that tells a true story similar to the Comanche story you mentioned. I didn’t read it. She summarized the story.

A “Gunsmoke” episode told a similar story, although fictional. A young Indian boy turned up in Dodge City. His mother recognized him as a son who had disappeared years earlier. He had trouble adjusting to life in Dodge. He also experienced a good deal of racism. He ran off and rejoined his tribe. The citizens of Dodge organized a posse to retrieve him. There was a confrontation between the posse and the tribal leaders. Matt Dillon stepped in and convinced both sides to allow the boy to decide. The boy chose to remain with the tribe. Matt convinced the mother that the boy was not her long-lost son, even though he actually was.

When someone is raised in one environment and is suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar, alien environment, he would have trouble adjusting. He would experience extreme homesickness. It stands to reason that he would want to return home to familiar surroundings. That doesn’t necessarily demonstrate that his familiar surroundings are objectively better in some way, just more subjectively comfortable and familiar.

Add to that the racism that an Indian would have experienced in a white community. No wonder he would want to return to the tribe.

“How do you think those ruthless leaders in our world got those leadership positions (despite having few actual skills)?.”

Politicians are highly skilled. They have mastered the art of getting “sheeple” to vote for them. P. T. Barnum is credited with saying, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of the rest of us to outvote them.

Ruthless people get their positions by being manipulative as well as ruthless. They convince “sheeple” that they will thrive and prosper under their leadership.

I have known plenty of leaders who were neither ruthless nor manipulative. They were indeed skilled as leaders.

People are not seen as leaders because they are ruthless. They are seen as leaders because they are not seen as ruthless. Because they are also manipulative, they are good at hiding their ruthlessness until they have secured their leadership position. Then, it’s too late.