Decision-makers get to those positions of power because it is assumed they have made good decisions in the past and therefore can be trusted to make good decisions in the future. They get less and less used to having their decisions questioned or held to account. Their power centralises and concentrates, and as it does the stakes for them go higher. It might not occur to them often, ‘hey, maybe I could be wrong’. And if it does, would they say so publicly? How many university decision-makers do you know are willing to take responsibility by admitting they got something wrong or simply don’t know? … Actually, I can think of two (I won’t say who!).