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In reply to the discussion: Dan Rather: I felt a shudder down my spine yesterday watching Donald Trump [View all]justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)25. Sad fact: most politicians, Dems and GOP alike, could be considered sociopaths
From HuffPo:
From The Atlantic:
My point being: "The idea of THIS sociopath in the White House should be enough to make us all shudder."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-freeman/are-politicians-psychopaths_b_1818648.html
Anyway, when I asked Dr. Stout if theres any truth to the contention that politicians are more likely to be psychopaths, she said in an email that no solid statistics were available to prove or disprove the hypothesis. Yet despite the lack of proof, she gave a surprisingly definitive answer to my question:
Anyway, when I asked Dr. Stout if theres any truth to the contention that politicians are more likely to be psychopaths, she said in an email that no solid statistics were available to prove or disprove the hypothesis. Yet despite the lack of proof, she gave a surprisingly definitive answer to my question:
Yes, politicians are more likely than people in the general population to be sociopaths. I think you would find no expert in the field of sociopathy/psychopathy/antisocial personality disorder who would dispute this... That a small minority of human beings literally have no conscience was and is a bitter pill for our society to swallow but it does explain a great many things, shamelessly deceitful political behavior being one.
From The Atlantic:
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/07/the-startling-accuracy-of-referring-to-politicians-as-psychopaths/260517/
In his landmark book on psychopathy, The Mask of Sanity, researcher Hervey Cleckley theorized that some people with the core attributes of psychopathy -- egocentricity, lack of remorse, superficial charm -- could be found in nearly every walk of life and at every level, including politics. Robert Hare, perhaps the leading expert on the disorder and the person who developed the most commonly used test for diagnosing psychopathy, has noted that psychopaths generally have a heightened need for power and prestige -- exactly the type of urges that make politics an attractive calling.
In his landmark book on psychopathy, The Mask of Sanity, researcher Hervey Cleckley theorized that some people with the core attributes of psychopathy -- egocentricity, lack of remorse, superficial charm -- could be found in nearly every walk of life and at every level, including politics. Robert Hare, perhaps the leading expert on the disorder and the person who developed the most commonly used test for diagnosing psychopathy, has noted that psychopaths generally have a heightened need for power and prestige -- exactly the type of urges that make politics an attractive calling.
My point being: "The idea of THIS sociopath in the White House should be enough to make us all shudder."
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Dan Rather: I felt a shudder down my spine yesterday watching Donald Trump [View all]
kpete
Jun 2016
OP
Exactly - this comes off as the ultimate acid test for today's class of journalists,
bullwinkle428
Jun 2016
#2
Bernie's New CA Ad Gets At The Truth Of Injustice...Reminded Me Of How Investigative Journalism Was
billhicks76
Jun 2016
#68
MSM is about the business (literally) of keeping so much smoke and crap floating out
LuckyLib
Jun 2016
#51
Given the public's penchant for falling for, and being entertained by ...
1StrongBlackMan
Jun 2016
#55
Lots of us out there in the same mood. I'm thinking of going "off the grid" news-wise
LuckyLib
Jun 2016
#60
I am even more scared of his voters as unstable as he is, he is empowering many who could
Person 2713
Jun 2016
#17
Sad fact: most politicians, Dems and GOP alike, could be considered sociopaths
justiceischeap
Jun 2016
#25
A sociopath who hates a free press, sneers at minorities and poor people, and built his whole
Oneironaut
Jun 2016
#50
A Fourth Estate Frankenstein. This is what is so egregiously ironic about the Trump candidacy. n/t
99th_Monkey
Jun 2016
#49
The new leader in the Phillipines said he will kill journalists that are SOBs
Person 2713
Jun 2016
#15
So lets put the *second* most hated major party candidate in modern history up against him.
corkhead
Jun 2016
#21
Wait...did you actually write "wait until the repubs start in on her"?
HillareeeHillaraah
Jun 2016
#75
Yes, I did. You haven't noticed that they have been relatively quiet? If she gets the nomination
corkhead
Jun 2016
#85
The same Dan Rather who tearfully pledged his loyalty to Bush Jr on the Letterman show after 9/11?
tularetom
Jun 2016
#28
The one who saw the Zapruder film on Nov. 22, 1963 and reported the exact opposite of what it shows.
Octafish
Jun 2016
#45
No matter what you want to try someone will tell you you are crazy and it won't work
Fumesucker
Jun 2016
#88
"Attacking the press for unfair coverage has long been a bipartisan pursuit."
Angel Martin
Jun 2016
#53