From: jimruttshow8596
The discussion on the impact of narcissism in political leadership often revolves around its potential effects on decision-making, long-term strategy, and susceptibility to influence.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Orientation
Jim Rut argues that a narcissist, by definition, is “only short-term oriented to 100% degree” [01:00:21]. This perspective suggests that such leaders primarily care about “the reaction of the mob” and lack the “4-year time Horizon” of typical elected officials, making narcissism a “horrendously bad operating system for making decisions that wait the future at anything higher than zero” [01:00:41]. He views this short-term focus as a significant impediment to addressing long-term challenges for humanity, which require a 70-year time horizon [01:06:28].
Susceptibility to Influence
A significant concern raised is that a leader driven by narcissism is “easily exploited by Trump Whisperers like Putin or Kimel Jung [Kim Jong Un]” [00:58:22]. It is suggested that “anyone who will kiss up the trump in the right way is able to influence him tremendously” [00:58:27]. This implies that flattery and personal adulation could sway a narcissistic leader’s decisions, potentially compromising national or long-term interests.
Motivation and Governance
While acknowledging that a leader might be motivated by narcissism, Brett Weinstein offers a different perspective. He posits that a leader who “desires adulation” and “lives in perilous times” might achieve that adulation by “serving the interests of the American people” [00:59:18]. He suggests that such a leader could be a “good Steward” and might “govern brilliantly” if their desire is to be “remembered as a great man” in history [00:59:59]. This argument suggests that even a narcissistic motivation could align with effective governance if the leader believes good outcomes will secure their desired legacy.
However, Jim Rut counters that he sees “no sign” that such a leader is concerned about their postmortem reputation, citing examples of mercurial behavior, such as changing stances on issues like abortion, based on what “he thinks is going to get him the… net presentes value of narcissism” [01:01:33]. He maintains that his “operational model” indicates a “short Loop narcissist” whose main decision driver is “adoration from his folk” [01:06:16].
Character and Political Realignment
Jim Rut describes a specific political figure as a “despicable human being” and a “pathological liar” whose utterances are solely driven by “whatever massages his narcissism or he thinks would be convenient at the moment” [00:57:30]. He connects this personality trait to the warnings about individuals in The Federalist Papers [00:58:41].
Despite these criticisms, Brett Weinstein argues that the individual in question has “defeated the duopoly” of the two major parties and “decapitated the Republican party and took it over” [01:01:53]. He suggests that this individual’s willingness to share the spotlight with other prominent figures, even those from different political backgrounds, “is a falsification of your model” of pure narcissism [01:04:16]. He proposes that this could indicate either growth in the leader’s character or the obscuring effect of a propaganda campaign [01:04:31].