In his influential 1964 essay “The Paranoid Style in American Politics,”1 former Communist Party USA member Richard Hofstadter claimed that paranoid thinking had become a phenomenon primarily of the “right wing.” According to Hofstadter, proof could be seen in the “angry minds at work mainly among extreme right-wingers” supporting the presidential run of that notorious firebrand Senator Barry Goldwater. Make of that what you will.
The essay was published in that November’s Harper’s Magazine, just as the Goldwater campaign against then-Vice President Lyndon Johnson was wrapping up, and Hofstadter’s rambling piece was intended to show that the “anti-Communist movement,” which was strongly supported by Goldwater, was based on conspiratorial fantasy. Oddly, Hofstadter neglected to mention the assassination of President John F. Kennedy that was then spawning an industry of paranoid theories from the Left blaming Right-wing conspiracies for the murder.
Sixty years later, an honest observer would have to admit that there is still plenty of the “paranoid style” across the political spectrum. Unfortunately, a big problem is that there simply aren’t enough honest observers across the political spectrum. Instead, our political discussions seem to be dominated by a collection of narcissists, people for whom honesty is too often an impediment. Indeed, narcissism might be a personality trait more generally damaging to the body politic than paranoia, and definitely one less understood by the general public.
Now, we should be cautious when discussing mental conditions such as narcissism. Hofstadter was careful to mention that he wasn’t “using the expression ‘paranoid style’… in a clinical sense, but borrowing a clinical term for other purposes.” Even he realized that it can be dangerous and dishonest to claim that political differences are a mark of mental illness. A magazine survey of mental health “experts” during the 1964 election prompted psychiatry to adopt the “Goldwater Rule,” named after Barry Goldwater, which forbids psychiatrists from diagnosing public figures.2 That said, this piece will take a bit more liberty, as this author isn’t a psychiatrist or psychologist3 or mental health professional of any stripe. In fact, there will be some admitted blurring between the clinical definition and the general definition.
As a brief “thumbnail sketch,” narcissism4 is an overly strong regard for yourself and your own interests. Of course, we should all have a strong sense of ourselves and our needs. It’s when that sense becomes extreme that it becomes narcissism. Even then, while narcissism is generally perceived as entirely negative, some sources argue that narcissism can be healthy in moderation.5 As with most behaviors or personality traits, the level is on a spectrum, and becomes more of a problem when we do something excessively, causing harm to ourselves or other, that it becomes a personality disorder. In the case of narcissism, the severe form is known as narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).
Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is defined in the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is the industry’s “bible” of when a personality trait becomes a personality disorder6. The latest version, DSM-5 lists the following behaviors as signs of having narcissistic personality disorder:7
Narcissistic personality disorder involves a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy. Those with narcissistic personality disorder may
- Have a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents).
- Be preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
- Believe that they are “special” and can only be understood by other special or high-status people.
- Require excessive admiration.
- Have a sense of entitlement (i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment).
- Take advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends.
- Lack empathy: or is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
- Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of them.
- Show arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.
In other words, a person with narcissistic personality disorder believes that he or she, or “they”, is fundamentally better than other people; more attractive, more humorous, more intelligent, more knowledgeable, more worthy. Conversely, the person also has an underlying sense of doubt, fear and unworthiness. These elements combine into a toxic person who doesn’t feel empathy for others, will lie, cheat and steal to maintain their inflated self-image and will also overreact to any slight that might harm their ego. Often, this will include belittling and degrading other people in order to increase the narcissist’s sense of self-worth.
Of course, human psychology isn’t an exact science, so there are plenty of nuances. Narcissistic personality disorder is grouped with similar conditions known as “Cluster B personality disorders,” which includes antisocial, borderline and histrionic personality disorders. In some people, one or more of these conditions might overlap, confounding ready diagnosis, particularly when we’re considering people that we’ve never met.
With mental disorders, often the prevalence of the illness is a question. For NPD, estimates range from .05% to 6% of the general population. So, if you meet 100 people, perhaps three of them will have narcissistic personality disorder, but you will probably never know it. Narcissists usually make every effort to come across as normal, or even charming when you first meet them. Again, this is a person who wants to be admired, so they understand how to manipulate you into admiring them. It usually takes repeated exposure to a person before you would possibly notice that they exhibit narcissistic behaviors. Since many people don’t think in terms of, or may not be aware of, narcissistic personality disorder, it’s possible to be married to someone with NPD for years before realizing their true nature.
Although the prevalence of NPD is up to 6%, consider that people with an insatiable desire to be admired gravitate to careers where they will be admired. Sure, Glibertarians rightly regard the political class as con artists leeching off of decent hard-working citizens, but many people still view politics as a glamorous business, thus the arena of politicians and political pundits may have a higher ratio of narcissists.
This means that those of us who follow political matters will see narcissistic behaviors frequently. President Donald Trump has often been accused of narcissism, and former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has made that claim.8 The allegation has even prompted debate about the continued viability of the Goldwater rule.9 Is it more noble to have principles or to demonstrate hatred of Trump?
Yes, President Trump absolutely exhibits some of the narcissistic traits. He is legendary for his grandiose proclamations that everything in which he is involved is the absolute best, even when it’s demonstrably false. You may have also noticed that he will offer high praise for new subordinates, only to dismiss and disparage them just months later. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Trump has NPD, and one of the men who literally “helped write the book” has argued that he doesn’t.10 This author leans more toward the former camp than the latter, and but remains open to other interpretations of Trump’s sometimes unpredictable actions.
Whether Trump is, or isn’t, a narcissist, it’s funny to see the charge lodged solely at him, when it seems likely that at least a few former Presidents were narcissists. JFK would certainly qualify, along with Bill Clinton. Now-former President Joe Biden clearly demonstrates many of the narcissistic traits. Biden’s life is a filled with episodes of plagiarism11 and self-aggrandizing or manipulative lies, such as the claim that his first wife was killed by a drunk driver, when there’s absolutely no proof that the driver had been drinking.12 Remember the petty rage he would demonstrate when his actions or ideas would be challenged?
Once you become attuned to the signs of true narcissism, you’ll see the hallmarks in many places. If you’ve spent any time on 𝕏witter, you may notice indicators from people you follow. You’ll often see people who post self-important messages all day long yet lash out viciously when they receive any pushback. Perhaps that billionaire who posts self-congratulatory messages around the clock has narcissistic tendencies? Certainly the expletive-filled rants against even mild criticism could hint at that. Perhaps, that famous cartoonist, who seems to think that he is the smartest person on 𝕏, could be a narcissist? Not admitting to any error could be a sign of that. Maybe, that “mean girl” reporter who delighted in punishing anonymous people and stormed off to Bluesky could be a narcissist? Well, yeah, that was pretty much a given.
As mentioned previously, it’s important not to attribute all political differences to mental illness, but it’s crucial to not ignore the possibility. Accept the fact that a small number of people who run your country are complete narcissists. Accept the fact that a portion of the people that you’re arguing with online are narcissists, and any effort to sway them is wasted. Like, The Terminator, a narcissist can’t be bargained with. “It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear.”13
At the same time, be filled with hope. The majority of people probably don’t have mental disorders, be it narcissism or any other condition. Other people are just like you, trying to figure things out in the most rational way that they know or understand. There’s most likely hope that you can bring them around to your way of thinking.
- https://harpers.org/archive/1964/11/the-paranoid-style-in-american-politics ↩︎
- https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2016.9a19 ↩︎
- https://medschool.ucla.edu/news-article/psychologist-vs-psychiatrist-what-is-the-difference ↩︎
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcissism ↩︎
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/contemporary-psychoanalysis-in-action/201609/what-is-healthy-narcissism ↩︎
- https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm ↩︎
- https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/what-is-narcissistic-personality-disorder ↩︎
- https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/13/paul-ryan-trump-populist-authoritarian-narcissist-00131675 ↩︎
- https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/24/health/trump-mental-illness-professionals-question-goldwater-rule/index.html ↩︎
- https://www.statnews.com/2017/09/06/donald-trump-mental-illness-diagnosis ↩︎
- https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/trump-campaign-press-release-copy-that-joe-bidens-long-record-plagiarism ↩︎
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/driver-in-biden-crash-wanted-name-cleared ↩︎
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcPeTeTBqHE&t=87s ↩︎
Paranoia and narcissism seem to be two sides of the same coin — thinking they are so significant there is a conspiracy out to get them.
No one cares, Margaret.
Paranoia and narcissism seem to be two sides of the same coin”
Not convinced. I’m paranoid (but not personally), but I’m not narcissistic, and I know no one’s out to get me (except for that blonde bitch Galadriel).
I think paranoids are often self-doubters, and many narcissists lack the self-awareness to be paranoid.
But that’s just my opinion.
Being paranoid does not mean they are not out to get. you.
There are certainly some similarities. I tend to think of paranoia as thinking everyone is out to get you and narcissism is thinking that everyone wants to be you. Both rely on the mistaken notion that other people are thinking more about you than themselves.
Yes, they both have an inflated sense of self-importance.
I don’t think either apply in Trump’s case. He’s the POTUS and the most famous person in the world, and people actually were out to get him in reality.
“Well, he’s not wrong.”
“If you knew how much other people think of you you would be surprised how little that is.” – Sam Clemons
Surprisingly other people have their own lives which absorbs as much of their attention as yours does for you.
I’ve recommended it before, but it’s doubly appropriate here.
Lasch’s Culture of Narcissism
That looks like a great read, JI. If I understand the gist correctly, I can certainly see how narcissism, which has always existed, has been allowed to flourish in American society since the 1960s. There are fewer and fewer people standing athwart misbehavior, yelling “Stop.”
Presence of five of the nine traits constitutes an NPD diagnosis, IIRC.
Thanks for the comment, Toxteth. I believe that you are correct.
For the article, I didn’t want to get into the difficulties of getting a diagnosis or treatment for someone with NPD. Obviously, these are the types of people who would be angry that you would suggest that they are defective in any way, so the idea that they would need treatment for being so awesome is a tough sell.
Hey! Thats me!
I believe you cannot succeed in politics without some narcissistic traits. It’s part of being able to promote yourself on a large stage. It’s when it totally takes you over that there is a major problem. Like good ol’ Joe. I don’t think he could ever tell the truth. Trump gets a break this term because he somehow turned into a magic wrecking ball beyond my wildest dreams.
I’d lean more towards sociopathic tendencies than narcissistic, but I think that’s a matter of degree.
I think sociopathy (viewing other people as resources to be used for your benefit) and narcissism kinda go hand in hand.
I know that Jordan Peterson has often discussed the Dark Triad. The Dark Triad concept groups narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy as interrelated negative behaviors where there is often considerable overlap.
Reading this, I was wondering what is the difference between the two.
rhywun:
They’re generally fairly closely linked. Narcissism is the belief that you are special and better than others, as Atreides wrote out above. Sociopathy is more lack of empathy and/or treating other people as people, instead treating them as objects to be manipulated.
–PTerry, I Shall Wear Midnight
I believe it is the dark tetrad now, they separated out sadism as a separate trait.
Absolutley, R.J. Believing that you can enter the arena of politics to help change the world certainly requires an belief in oneself that most of us don’t have. As they say, dose makes the poison. Some people can use a little bit of narcissism to help the rest of us. Other people are true narcissists who can only see the rest of as as means to their ends. The trouble is in being able to know which is which.
Sociopaths are even worse, and psychopaths worse still.
“there is still plenty of the “paranoid style” across the political spectrum”
+ 1 conspiracy theory
Of course, post 01/06 and with the ongoing DOGE revelations, it’s getting harder to say there’s no basis for paranoia. Turns out, they really are out to get us, amirite?
*adjusts lead foil hat, because tin foil is for poseurs*
Paranoia isn’t thinking that everyone is out to get you. That’s just reality.
Paranoia is thinking that everyone is working together to get you. Which also may be true…
I think that it’s important to note the difference between 1.) not having empathy, and 2.) having empathy and using it in an exploitative manner.
A complete lack of empathy in a person is going to be immediately obvious to others. Being the only real soul in an ocean of puppets (apologies to John Camp) is not something you can hide from others. Lack of empathy is often (not always) correlated with low intelligence – I suspect that Kamela Harris is probably a good example.
Spies, interrogators, and confidence men all have highly developed senses of empathy. It’s not all about nice feels. I suspect, based on some third-hand reports, that Donald Trump is in fact highly empathic, and that he uses this talent mostly to get what he wants. See also, Bill Clinton.
The difference between Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Someone like Katharine Hepburn — merely bossy and self-centered but not exploitative — I might call a benign narcissist, if that’s not a contradiction in terms.
I consider Lucy van Pelt the fictional epitome of a narcissist (the football yanking might even be sociopathic). Poor Linus, Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and Sparky.
Speaking of paranoia.
The Senate just delayed the vote on FBI Director for a week so docs can be shredded.
A hearty thank you to Tonio for his generous assistance in publishing this piece. I’m thrilled to actually be able to contribute to the Glibertarian community, and I couldn’t have done it without him.
It was a good article. Also, I’m a sucker for Glibs articles with footnotes…
I shall remember that.
Once More*.
*With Footnotes
I appreciate the kind words, EvilSheldon.
The idea of being that much of a narcissist is so foreign to me that I felt I had to have footnotes or people would think I’m making some of it up.
Thanks for writing this, I don’t think politics is attractive to anyone that’s not narcissistic on some level.
Certainly not as a career.
Welcome to the party Atreides. Enjoy the praise and love heaped upon you by the commenters, forgive them when they go off topic, and keep providing content to the grist mill.
Thanks, Nephilium. I’m pleased to be in such august company as yourself.
I assume that the keys to the executive washroom at Glibertarians HQ should arrive shortly.
Atredies:
Not sure how I rate as august, hell, new contributors are rarer around here than I am. 🙂
Just remember, when you’re using the Glibs washroom:
Don’t drop the soap.
SOAP ON ROPE NOT STOP STEVE SMITH!
https://www.amazon.com/Bigfoot-Rope-Valentines-Gifts-Sasquatch/dp/B0BTCD4RJ3
“that at least a few former Presidents were narcissists.”
President Obama has entered the chat.
[but he was unable to elbow his way to the front row]
Yeah, he immediately came to mind. His pic should accompany the textbook definition.
Oh, yeah, Obama is the quintessential example.
A young gal named Hillary Clinton wasn’t far from my mind, either.
I rewatched Election the other night. Man, is HRC a Tracy Flick and vice versa. Most of the characters except the jock are deliciously loathsome.
Hofstader was also informed by his general acceptance of the Consensus school of history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consensus_history
What, he just ignored William Jennings Bryan’s entire existence?
Read his chapter on Bryan in “The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It.” It’s titled “The Democrat as Revivalist.”
Thanks, Raven Nation. I had almost thought about splitting this into two articles, with the first being about Richard Hofstadter and the discussion of “The Paranoid Style in American Politics,” which continues to this day.
You’re welcome.
I will say there is an increasing understanding among historians that conspiracy/paranoia can be found across the political spectrum. That idea hasn’t made it”s way to the journalists yet.
From the ded-thred, creech’s Fellowship and accepting some degree of corruption and inefficiency (which are not really related).
You missed the chance to respond – just how much cancer can you accept before it becomes a health concern?
frickin tag fail
Elon and others on X today speculating as whether the entire budget deficit is waste and fraud.
That’s one reason to be here: you all have different and perhaps more effective ways to make the case. We all can learn from and teach each other.
Interesting that this article dropped yesterday: https://boriquagato.substack.com/p/the-end-of-weaponized-empathy
My wife got written up for telling a younger co-worker to grow up an put her big girl panties on.
We are getting tired of these aging children.
Have it framed and hang it on the office wall.
Oh, absolutely.
I remember the union I was in for the phone company grieving a manager for exactly that.
I still refused to sign on to that grievance and thought it BS.
Great video from Blaire White:
“The Downfall of The Trans Community They F D Around And Found Out”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzicDKSUCss
I had a roommate a long time ago who, I finally decided, thought he would disappear if there was no one in the room with him to celebrate his existence. Is that a form of narcissism?
Sure sounds like it, TLPB. Dealing with a serious narcissist can be exhausting, because they think that your only purpose is to reflect their own glory back at them.
Solipsism? I had that around age 7. But I decided to give others the benefit of doubt and assume that they do exist.
Speaking of blurring lines: I see a lot of criticism of American politics and politicians, which is healthy. However there is more than a little bit of it based on the implied premise that criticism of us means other places/people.cultures are better. They are not. They are exponentially worse than we are. One of the reasons for that is that criticism of their systems and leaders is mostly forbidden. That ‘hate speech is not free speech’ mentality.
My recommendation is to double down on the criticism of our own. Keep the crucible hot.
If you want to know who to set your sights on at the moment just look to see who is screaming the loudest about the trough being drained. If they are losing their shit over the prospect of having their books opened we definitely need to open their books. As mentioned earlier the time for a scalpel is past. We need an axe.
The Goldwater rule was instituted for a good reason; to avoid judging too hastily or incorrectly giving poor practical outcomes. Worth noting that that rule was dispensed with the second Trump came on the scene. He threatened to ‘drain the swamp’ and was deemed crazy by half of the mental health profession. Add to that the pass given to us by Mike Godwin on Godwin’s law with regard to Trump. The height of irony in my opinion.
These aren’t subtle clues or even red flags. They are marching bands playing the doom music from your favorite horror movie with the volume turned up to eleventy!!.
“We need an axe.”
The guillotine was adopted by the French because it is faster and more efficient.
Jus’ sayin’.
The crucifix is more salutary, also jus’ sayin’
Apropos of nothing, here’s something I composed as part of an e-mail this morning:
Subject: Happy Spring!
For one definition of “Spring”.
I’ve always thought it silly that the seasons start when they do. Winter starts on the shortest day of the year? What sense does that make? In my mind there are two separate sets of seasons and they start one and half months offset from the calendar seasons.
The first are the temperature seasons. The three months of Summer are centered on the warmest day of the year and the three months of Winter are centered on the coldest day of the year. Spring and Fall are the transitional seasons. In the U.S. the warmest day of the year is July 15-31:
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/if-things-go-%E2%80%9Cnormal%E2%80%9D-most-us-locations-will-have-their-hottest-day
Which puts the coldest day January 15-31. The middle day of this range is the 23rd. So Summer starts 1.5 months before July 23rd and Winter starts 1.5 months before January 23rd, or June 8 and December 8 so:
Summer: Jun 8 – Sep 8
Fall: Sep 8 – Dec 8
Winter: Dec 8 – Mar 8
Spring: Mar 8 – Jun 8
School should start the first day of Fall. Sugaring roughly starts the first day of Spring. The Village Winter overnight roadside parking ban should be during the Winter.
The second set of seasons are the daylight seasons centered on the longest and shortest days. This is how people with adjustable solar panels naturally think of seasons. Summer starts 1.5 months before June 21 and Winter starts 1.5 months before December 21 so:
Summer: May 6 – Aug 6
Fall: Aug 6 – Nov 6
Winter: Nov 6 – Feb 6
Spring: Feb 6 – May 6
So happy daylight Spring! Time to set the PV array angle to the location’s latitude.
Richard,
I wrote up a poorly-recieved article on this very subject several years ago. Makes no sense that Jun 20th is not summer but Jun 22nd is.
I advocate for your second example.
You know, as I was cut-and-pasting I was thinking “This seems familiar. Didn’t someone already do this?” I’m glad my memory still extends years back, however vaguely.
I appreciate the spurious accuracy of going with the 6th or 8th days of the month, rather than the first.
Something else to keep in mind: The ‘Those darned kids today’ phenomena. Things in front of your nose right now always seem worse or more severe than things in the past or future.
It has always been crazy like this but something about this time feels very different. Trump really is a once in a lifetime phenomena. I never saw it coming. I never paid much attention to the guy or cared much. My first knowledge of him was his divorce with Ivanka. That was all over the news everywhere and I thought ‘So what?’. Now look where we are.
All because Obama insulted him at a White House Correspondents dinner
Thanks, Obama!
Me either.
(Ivana, RIP, was the first wife.)
I feel like this is right up your alley Suthenboy.
“Of course, human psychology isn’t an exact science”
*snicker*
Yeah, that’s one way to put it.
You know it, Suthen.
I actually expected a bit more pushback from this group about the aspect of psychology / psychiatry in this article. I just regard them as rough approximations of what we think we can know about human behavior.
Forensic psychology class, day one: There is no bright line that one must cross. Every person exhibits some of these traits to some extent or other. It is not a matter of being crazy or not crazy, it is a matter of degree.
*Class over. I pick up my stuff and walk straight to my advisor’s office to change my major to Chemistry/Biology. Now there is something I can get my teeth into. *
Dumb question…but if I had a second fridge available for beer – don’t think it’s very fancy. Is it better to keep it slightly warmer for some types of beers or on the colder end…admittedly I could probably chill some glasses too.
Out of lagers, stouts, belgians, etc…Don’t drink room temp…but should I stay above a certain temp? My fridge in my old house was around 36 or 38.
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/proper-beer-serving-temperatures/
Beer Suggested Temperature
American Mainstream Light Lagers 33° – 40° F
Pale Lagers, Pilsners 38° – 45° F
Cream & Blonde Ales 40° – 45° F
Nitro Stouts 40° – 45° F
Belgian Pale Ales, Abbey Tripels 40° – 45° F
Wheat Beers 40° – 50° F
Lambics 40° – 50° F
Dark Lagers 45° – 50° F
American Pale Ales & IPAs 45° – 50° F
Stouts, Porters 45° – 55° F
Strong Lagers 50° – 55° F
Real & Cask Ales 50° – 55° F
Belgian Dubbels 50° – 55° F
If you’re trying to reuse a kitchen fridge, I’d shoot for temps in the low 40s. You can keep your lagers/pilsners in the regular fridge.
If you are buying new. Pick up a multi-zone wine cooler. Shoot for low/mid 40s and low/mid 50s in different zones.
Thanks. The place I plan to lease – hopefully signing tomorrow and moving next Wed has a “European” size fridge, but I should be able to get a normal US size loaner fridge for the duration of my tour.
You are welcome
I prefer my blondes warmer.
I’d recommend against the frozen/chilled glassware for beer. A quick water rinse is the only thing a clean glass should need. Also, keep in mind that if the beer is too cold, it’ll warm up on it’s own, but if it’s too warm, there’s not an easy way to drop the temperature.
And there are no dumb questions, just inquisitive idiots. 🙂
My aunt uses the cold glasses, but I’ve never latched onto them myself…
Hmm, Narcissism… adopting Space Messiah as avatar…;)
The Spice has given me special insight beyond the understanding of mere mortals.
That seems like a real case of special pleading there…
It does that, usually in between the munchies and the paranoia.
I find an Old Fashioned works for me. Especially if it’s during happy hour or complimentary.
The Goldwater Rule, as I recall, was for professionals who would diagnose a public figure that they had never met. And in doing so, were giving a bad name to the practice of psychiatry. And this is a lesson that should be shared by everyone. We all love to see a person who advocates for practices that we don’t like be diagnosed as narcissistic, psychotic, sociopathic, when the reality is that we just do not share the priors that have described their life experiences that led them to that point. And this includes calling someone stupid, of which I am extremely guilty of.
Good article, lots to think about.
Worth noting that EVERYTHING you see regarding politics is theater. What the pols do and say is all an act. Making judgements about them based on what you see is…..aww fuck it. They are sociopaths.
Reminds me of the Slam Bang theater that was on when I was a kid. Only now they steal half of my money and don’t make me laugh.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7RRyz95DCV0
Half? You better check again.
“prompted psychiatry to adopt the “Goldwater Rule,” named after Barry Goldwater, which forbids psychiatrists from diagnosing public figures”
Which was an excellent passive-aggressive way to call Goldwater (and by extension his supporters) paranoid.
Adam Carolla has talked a LOT about narcissism and narcissistic personalities the last few years – especially on his podcast with Dr. Drew. You can definitely see a lot of that in politicians in CA, etc.
Dr. Drew blames the French Revolution.
OT: I hope you’ll have an excursion to Pompeii soon.
Maybe in a month or two – once things get settled down and get regular – I’ll start making more regular plans/trips in the area. A lot of the guys I work with – given our watch schedule travel pretty regularly – so it’s definitely something to look forward to. Being here 2.5+ yrs gives a nice cushion.
While you’re in the area, go see Santorini before it blows up.
Oh, I nearly forgot….*goes over list of symptoms again*….my grandiose fantasy is to build a library. A very special library. It would only take a measly few billion to complete. It will have zero statues of me and my name wont be on it anywhere. Athena, Thomas Sowell, Socrates and a few others on the other hand….
I had a fraternity brother with a gf who looked exactly like Shirley Manson. I may have been jealous.
That’s better than looking like Charles Manson.
She was a favorite guest on Late night with Craig Ferguson. She is smokin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FuPXcsYa3Q
1990s Shirley surely had a dangerous charm to her. You could just never be sure whether she was going to cut herself or you.
Not only was Shirley Manson an absolute stunner, but Version 2.0 was one of those perfect-but-underrated mid-career alternative albums (see also Recovering the Satellites and Secret Samehdi) that I was too stupid to appreciate when they came out. Push It and Supervixen are regulars on my USPSA ‘pump it up to burn it down’ playlist.
TOG’s experienced advice on dealing with narcissists:
Try not to provoke their temper. Flatter them as much as you can stand to.
Try not to be dependent on one.
Try not to be related to one.
“What makes you think this post is about you?”
Once you understand the nature of narcissists, it does become easier to avoid them. Unfortunately, I think most of us only realize that someone is a narcissist after dealing with them for a long time, or, for some of us, dealing with them our whole lives. But, that’s a story for another day.
Interesting but trying to describe a spectrum with discrete words is always going to be tough.
“Is it narcissism or schizophrenia?” Even schizophrenia has subdivisions and psychiatrists will disagree on a particular person’s diagnosis.
Like pornography, I know it when I see it.