Most Narcissistic US President?

Post Reply New Topic

Just found this over at Pew Research. Looks like Lyndon B. Johnson was just awarded a less than prestigious title.


Source:
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/20 ... residents/
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/20 ... 0.abstract

Evaluating the personality traits of individuals from a distance is always suspect (just as the ever present "Important Person X has/had Asperger Syndromes" claim).

However, I'm sure that won't deter people here from voicing an opinion about the subject.

The top 10 is primarily composed of effective Presidents.

The bottom 10 is primarily composed of less effective Presidents.

Is narcissism a good thing?

Reagan. The man was an actor that loved the spotlight and knew how to act presidential. Everything he did publicly was choreographed to give maximum exposure and put him in a positive light.

I disagree about Teddy Roosevelt. He was bigger than life to be sure but I don't think he had the negative traits that are necessary for an actual DSM IV diagnosis.

On a related side note, I'm in a class on addiction/intervention/treatment right now. We spend a lot of time evaluating case studies and interviews and making Dx's according to the DSM IV.

One of the cases this week involved a guy who was a raging alcoholic with NPD.... I bet 2/3rds of my twenty-something classmates could not recognize the guy's narcissistic tendencies.

Narcissism is the new normal.

The interesting thing about narcissus is that he thought his reflection was another person. Similarly, the self image we work so hard to make look exceptional is only a mask and is not who we are.

Obama is not on that list. I'd say he would rank rather high.

I think Obama might have a very real messiah complex. Exhibit A: The Audacity of Hope