Time was when biologists somewhat over worded the evidence that these creatures preserve the health of game by killing the physically weak, or that they prey only on " worthless" species.
In other words, with the emperor gone, he could stop supporting certain families that he didn't care for, or were no longer politically useful, and reward those who were.
They need to be the master puppeteer of their life, their relationships, and their children comes from their own inner anxiety, which is connected to their own unworthiness.
Everyone has seen speakers beginning a presentation by apologizing for how unworthy they are, how little of their work is really conclusive, how they hope people will forgive them and so on.