Getting to the root of what drives war - Harvard Gazette

Seth Rosenberg transitioned from military combat photography to studying the psychology of power. After joining the Marine Corps in 2017 and working as a combat photographer for five years across many countries, he sought a broader strategic perspective when his deployment ended. He pursued psychology first, focusing on decision-making and behavioral economics, then increasingly turned toward political science and government. His experiences interacting with communities and providing humanitarian aid after natural disasters led him to examine motivations and how people use and assert power. He views power as a central driver of actions and emphasizes that power dynamics are often overlooked despite their major effects on international relations.

"During Rosenberg's deployment to various countries, he interacted with communities, providing humanitarian aid after natural disasters or working with local leaders. These experiences made him curious about motivations, particularly how people use and assert power. Power dynamics are often overlooked in political science, he said, but have profound impacts on international relations. "Power is the motivation for everyone's actions," Rosenberg said. "It's very interesting to see how these dynamics play out again and again through""

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