Obama and Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Here are the symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder according to the American Psychology Association. A person needs only FIVE of these symptoms to be clinically diagnosed as having NPD:

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

(1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)

(2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

(3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)

(4) requires excessive admiration

(5) has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations

(6) is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends

(7) lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others

(8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her

(9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

External Link

Let's take these point by point:

1) Obama has accomplished nothing substantive in his career, yet he expects to be POTUS.

2-4) self-evident.

5) Expects favorable treatment? Watch his whining after the Philadelphia debate.

6) Exploitive? Obama? Did he use Wright as a stepping stone for his career then through him under the bus? How about using his grandmother and uncle to make points?

7) Lacks empathy? Bitter and clinging. 'nough said.

8) Maybe. Don't know an example of this. We'll call it 7 out of 8 to be conservative.

9) Obama arrogant? Haughty? Again, self-evident.


So what's the big deal?

It's not pretty. Just a cursory search on NPD results in many sites that describe nothing good about people with NPD. Here's an example:

The narcissist is the guru at the centre of a cult. Like other gurus, he demands complete obedience from his flock: his spouse, his offspring, other family members, friends, and colleagues. He feels entitled to adulation and special treatment by his followers. He punishes the wayward and the straying lambs. He enforces discipline, adherence to his teachings, and common goals. The less accomplished he is in reality – the more stringent his mastery and the more pervasive the brainwashing.

External Link

Here are some more links on NPD:

NPD Links

Watch Obama through this filter going forward. His "don't mess with my wife" comment is a classic example of objectifying a relationship and narcissistic anger. And there is no doubt his following is cult-like. If BO truly meant that "YOU" were the change you were looking for, what would you need him for? Obviously, the implication is that HE is the change you were looking for. This is classic, text book NPD.

This is truly a serious issue and should be brought to the attention of everybody who thinks BO is the change they were looking for.

The constant self-reverent, self-referent, narcissistic, messianic comments DOES make a person wonder if he has Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Of course, most politicians have some narcissism ... but when you consider all the MESSIANIC and BIBLICAL references in regards to himself .. YIKES!

Originally posted by jamie83
His "don't mess with my wife" comment ......

Rather threatening, wasn't it? With nothing to back up the threat with.

I am just wondering what other leader present and throughout history have also had such disorders?

Obama is the American version of Kim Jong Il when it comes to narcissistic behavior.

Originally posted by wutone
I am just wondering what other leader present and throughout history have also had such disorders?

Obama is the American version of Kim Jong Il when it comes to narcissistic behavior.

This is an important issue that needs to be taken seriously. I don't think anybody could argue that Obama is not clinically diagnosable as having OPD. The consequences of somebody with OPD in the White House will be devastating to the country. There will be untold lies, a sense of entitlement, and a total lack of respect for the rule of law. In short, Obama will shred the Constitution, not defend it.

[edit on 28-5-2008 by jamie83]

WHat an incredible load of BS

You people must be really desperate to come up with this nonsense

Why is it with all of the Obama bashing threads in here, not one has anything to do with the issues facing the country?!?

The far right has nothing to say on the issues, so we're left with nothing but a series of smear campaigns, innuendo, guilt by association, and speculation that has nothing to do with reality - IE pure unadulterated horse manure.

Originally posted by xmotex
not one has anything to do with the issues facing the country

You don't think the mental stability of a potential POTUS is important?

You don't think that Bush43 thinking that God told him to invade Iraq is important?

You don't think that McCain's serious temper problem and lack of self control is important?

You don't think that Obama trying to make the people think that he's a messiah isn't important? (He DEFINATELY is trying .. his bible/messiah loaded rhetoric is thick and heavy ... obvious references and subliminal)

OF COURSE it is important! The mental stability of a POTUS is vitally important. Obviously Obama can't be diagnosed long distance, but his mental health can be speculated upon - just as Bush43's mental health has been.

reply to post by jamie83

All human beings exhibit narcissistic tendencies, depressive tendencies -- manic, bipolar, and delusional times. That is perfectly normal. There is enormous variation in our thought processes.

However, once in a long while, there is a very clear and distinct "break" from rationality that goes far beyond the wide amount of variation that is normally found. This is when you can start legitimately identifying "disorders" and "psychotic behavior".

I don’t think you have made the case that Obama is delusional, narcissistic, or any way psychotic. (He may be all those things, but there is no evidence to indicate this that I currently see.) It looks to me like Obama is functioning quite effectively.

I think the more likely reason for your post: you disagree with his political objectives. You are implying he has a psychosis in order to undermine his political beliefs. Cool. Very standard stuff.

Obama's Messianic Rhetoric

I don't know about Narcissistic Personality Disorder ... like I said - all politicians probably have a high degree of narcissism - however, he DOES imply messianic rhetoric about himself a lot. I don't know if it's just a campaign ploy or if he really thinks he's a savior of some kind.

Worst messianic rhetoric used by Obama - "my hour is almost here". Straight from Christ in the Bible.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
You don't think that Bush43 thinking that God told him to invade Iraq is important?

Yeah -- you posted my other thought here, Flyers.

I would say that if someone honestly believes they have received clear and unambigouous secret messages from God or angels, directing certain actions that are highly illogical and irrational -- that really is a type of delusion disorder. It would be a clear indication of real and dangerous trouble.

I'm not sure Bush actually thinks this -- nor Obama. I'd be interested in any video or transcripts that show some indication of this.

Footnote: It may be that these types of spiritual communications actually exist. I don't think that they are sent to political leaders -- ever. (That may be my minor delusion -- I don't know.) A wise political leader would ignore these voices anyway, not trusting the spirit that was speaking to them. That would be for the best.

Originally posted by Buck Division
reply to post by jamie83

 

All human beings exhibit narcissistic tendencies, depressive tendencies -- manic, bipolar, and delusional times. That is perfectly normal. There is enormous variation in our thought processes.

You're missing the point. The DSM-IV is very specific on the clinical diagnosis of NPD. You need 5 of 9 symptoms. Obama easily has 5. More likely he has 8 or even 9. He is undeniably OPD.

I don’t think you have made the case that Obama is delusional, narcissistic, or any way psychotic. (He may be all those things, but there is no evidence to indicate this that I currently see.) It looks to me like Obama is functioning quite effectively.

I have extensive experience in this area. A personality disorder is far different than a psychotic disorder. People with OPD function very well 99.99% of the time. It's the consequences of their actions on other people that's problematic.

I think the more likely reason for your post: you disagree with his political objectives. You are implying he has a psychosis in order to undermine his political beliefs. Cool. Very standard stuff.

No, NPD is not a psychosis, it's a personality disorder. You really should educate yourself on this subject if you have any interest in the truth. The motto hear is deny ignorance, not close your eyes to the truth.

Go through the APA description of NPD an give an honest opinion as to whether or not you can conclude the Obama is NPD. And yes, you CAN diagnose somebody from a distance (not officially in medical terms of course) by observing their behavior.

Obama is textbook NPD. It's undeniable. The "bitter" comment is classic lack of empathy. The whining about the slightest perceived media mistreatment is classic entitlement mentality.

Let's put it another way. Which of the 9 symptoms do you think Obama does NOT exhibit?

You don't think the mental stability of a potential POTUS is important?

More that I don't think the OP has presented any actual evidence for the case that there is any problem with Obama's "mental stability" other than the fact that he doesn't like the guy

As far as the "messianic" thing goes, puh-leez... more BS.

The man tries to speak in a positive manner IE: "we're going to win in November and make some changes" - and then some rightwing spinmeisters pop in and turn it into "I am your messiah and when I take office I will declare myself God"

It's funny, before all this poo-flinging started, I was a lukewarm Obama supporter at best - I thought he was the least awful of the remaining major candidates, after it was clear Ron Paul didn't have a real shot.

But all the crazies are plainly terrified of this guy getting into office, and willing to distort facts or outright lie through their teeth to prevent it.

Which only makes me somewhat more determined to support the guy.

Originally posted by xmotex
WHat an incredible load of BS

You people must be really desperate to come up with this nonsense

This is not a smear campaign or bs. It's a legitimate concern.

Look at the list of 9 symptoms, only 5 of which are required for a clinical diagnosis of NPD, and tell me which you think Obama does NOT demonstrate on an almost daily basis.

You're full of it, sorry.

Another ideological hack slinging mud and hoping it will stick - and you know it.

As someone who worked for six years for a guy with a real case of NPD (fun, fun, fun!), I haven't seen any signs of it with Obama.

None.

Nor do you present any evidence to support your claim, only your purely subjective reactions to quotes taken out of context.

Look at the list of 9 symptoms, only 5 of which are required for a clinical diagnosis of NPD, and tell me which you think Obama does NOT demonstrate on an almost daily basis.

I haven't seen any evidence that he has demonstrated any of them, let alone five

[edit on 5/28/08 by xmotex]

[reply to post by jamie83

Let's put it another way. Which of the 9 symptoms do you think Obama does NOT exhibit?

Obama doesn't exhibit ANY of these symptoms. I think you are projecting here.

en.wikipedia.org...

For something to be considered a disorder, it has to be non-functional. Where do you see that with Obama? Are you sure that you are not objecting to Obama's belief system?

In my opinion, you are drawing an unreasonable line as to what constitutes a "disorder" -- that will be obvious to many readers here.

Edit: Fixed quote markup.

[edit on 28-5-2008 by Buck Division]

Originally posted by xmotex
More that I don't think the OP has presented any actual evidence for the case ...

Okay. That's fair.

As far as the "messianic" thing goes, puh-leez... more BS.

puh-leez ... it's true. read here and learn. Mr. 'my hour is almost here' just looooooooooooves to push the bible references in regards to himself.

But all the crazies are plainly terrified of this guy ...

Actually, all the crazies are drinking his koolaide and smoking his hope-ium.

Which only makes me somewhat more determined to support the guy.

If you prefer to be in a hope-ium haze then be my guest. Enjoy.
You'll have buyers remorse later but by all means .. enjoy yourself.

Originally posted by jamie83
It's a legitimate concern.

It IS a legitimate concern. Definately. But I'm sure you must know that it isn't possible to make a real diagnosis long distance like this. I never got my Masters in Psychology (just my Bachelors), so perhaps those with a Masters can diagnose long distance - but I think that would be only in extreme cases (like Hitler or Charles Manson ... etc).

I see disturbing biblical and messianic imagery used in Obama's speeches and he always makes the messianic light shine upon himself. I also see narcassistic traits, but as I said I think that most politicians have a higher narcissism level then people in other professions. It just comes with selling yourself as the product.

Originally posted by xmotex
You're full of it, sorry.

Another ideological hack slinging mud and hoping it will stick - and you know it.

No, I believe that your willing enlistment into the Cult of Obama has blinded you to the truth. It's the fact that Obama is ideologically aligned with you that's causing you NOT to see him for what he is.

Let's take one at a time. Start with the "bitter" and "clinging" comment. That comment, by definition, displays a total lack of empathy towards the people he was talking about. An empathic response would have been if Obama would have related directly to the people's problems while talking with them rather than explain their "irrational" behavior to a group behind closed doors.

Next, let's look at his whole "don't mess with my wife" interview. He first displays an over-inflated view of himself by declaring that criticism of his wife is not acceptable to him, and then follows it up with a not-so-veiled threat to lay off his wife. This displays delusions of grandeur in that Obama truly believes he can assert his will onto other people in order to silence their opinions.

Then there's the land deal in Chicago with Rezco. This is classic "the rules don't apply to me" thinking. Then there's the incident where he loses his cool over the guy wanting a photo with him. Then there's "appeasement-gate." Bush mentions appeasement and Obama immediately twists the entire story to be about him. The list can go on and on.

Just watch as the campaign unfolds and you will notice these symptoms over and over with Obama.

I don't expect the guy (or anyone) to fix the country or the planet singlehandedly, so I doubt I'll have much "buyers remorse", simply because I don't expect that much from him, or any politician for that matter.

A slightly more sensible foreign policy and a little less authoritarianism at home is all I really "hope" for.

Aside from coining cute catchphrases like "Hopium" and "Obamessiah", neither have you made your point. Your article seems to clearly demonstrate that a lot of Democrats are overhyping the guy (not that I hadn't noticed that already ), but it does absolutely nothing to support the idea that Obama himself suffers from any sort of "messiah complex".

He thinks he's the best guy for the job, he thinks he will be able to improve the country... that's a bad thing? Frankly if someone doesn't think they'll be a good President, why would they be running?!?

And the criticism that his supporters are overly enthusiastic is somewhat ironic coming from a Ron Paul supporter, who has been unfairly trashed for exactly the same thing - overzealous & enthusiastic supporters who think he will solve all society's woes.

If you object to the policies the guy proposes, then attack the policies.

But your attempts to spin "hope" and "change" into something sinister are more than a little odd.

Originally posted by xmotex

If you object to the policies the guy proposes, then attack the policies.

That's just it. When a person is NPD they will say whatever gets them through a given situation. Therefore, the policies Obama proposes become relatively meaningless if the man behind the policies cannot be trusted.

In other words, for Obama, the race is about HIM, not the policies. In fact, there's not a dime's bit of difference between Obama's policies and Clinton's policies, yet Obama supporters have crucified Clinton over basically her personality.

Why is it fair game to excoriate Clinton based primarily on her personality yet bs when the same criteria is applied to Obama?

Originally posted by xmotex
neither have you made your point.

I don't have a point.
I already said that it's impossible to diagnose long distance.

I gave examples of his continual use of messianic and biblical references in regards to himself. It is obvious and it's odd. His disciples are cultish - even the MSM has picked up on that.

But that's as far as any 'point' of mine goes.