Consumed by megalomania and narcissism, politicians and big businessmen strive for a single goal – to gain power and … eternity. And this passion sometimes makes them forget even about their own beliefs, psychologist Alexei Sitnikov and psychoanalyst Jean-Pierre Friedman explain.
Psychologies: What unites those in power?
Jean-Pierre Friedman: People in power – politicians, businessmen or top managers – differ very much from each other. But there are two constant facts.
First, almost all of them grew up in a symbiotic relationship (emotional fusion) with their mother, which was characterized by excessive care and desire to indulge all the desires of the child, and conflict (hostile, full of contempt, or simply cold) relationship with the father.
It is in such a family environment that the prerequisites for the development of the desire for power are born: from the relationship with the mother follows self-confidence and one’s own actions, which feeds narcissism; the relationship with the father determines the desire to assert oneself, rise and surpass one’s parent.
Secondly, they have a similar attitude towards power – it becomes a synonym for life and seems to them a guarantee of eternity. Such people seek to retain power at any cost: its loss symbolizes death for them, but they cannot reconcile either with the thought of their own disappearance or with the fact that the world can outlive them.
Alexey Sitnikov: Most people in power have a high level of emotional intelligence – EQ. And the higher the EQ, the better a person understands his own feelings, understands the mood of people, knows how to quickly assess the situation and accurately respond to it. In addition, all these people, before they succeeded, had to go through a tough “natural selection” and develop such qualities as psychological stability and composure. They are purposeful, ambitious and well trained.
Staying in power inevitably develops certain qualities, traits of character to the detriment of others. Is it so significant?
A.S.: Among the politicians and businessmen who are considered to be successful, there are a lot of those who have forgotten how to hear their own “I” and therefore are deeply unhappy. Early in their careers, they tend to make decisions based on intuition rather than rational calculation. But the higher they rise, the less they listen to the inner voice and gradually fall into the thrall of the stereotypes that exist in their environment. As a result, their career or financial success does not bring them satisfaction or joy.
There was a case in my practice. A senior official, when asked about his priorities, said that he has a wonderful wife and daughter, with whom he wants to spend more time. He talked about how he likes to travel and read books. And then my question “How can I help?” – he replied: “I beg you, elect me mayor!”
Is the attitude of those in power to women different?
J.-P. F .: Their desire for more power often equals their desire for more women. For example, François Mitterrand had a personality type that fully corresponded to his desire for power – the type of “enticing strategist” with an admixture of cunning and charm.
A.S.: It also depends on how much a person is in captivity of stereotypes. If today it is fashionable among men in power to have a wife or girlfriend with a model appearance, a person who depends on stereotypes will certainly have one. Well, if he really likes such a woman, then he is lucky.
How to explain the fact that candidates continue to participate in elections even when they have no chance of winning?
A.S.: This is largely due to the most striking character traits that determine behavior. It can be demonstrative, when a person is driven by the desire to be constantly in the spotlight; fixation on one overvalued idea – and he sometimes goes ahead of her, even without a chance of success; hyperthymia, when the main desire of a person is new experiences or just entertainment.
Elections are a great opportunity to be in the spotlight, show off, have fun or compete. But, as a rule, even going to the polls not to win, each candidate secretly hopes for success.
J.-P. F .: Elections are a rare opportunity to fuel your narcissism, boost your self-esteem. They will be talked about for several months. For example, a candidate knows for sure that he will never become president. But imagine this man’s feelings about the fact that the whole country knows who he is: a feeling of omnipotence, chosenness, exclusivity – it is difficult for him to refuse this.
Why do politicians often easily change their beliefs?
J.-P. F .: Their main desire is to gain power. Of course, there are politicians who, on the way to it, proclaim ideas that they sincerely believe in and that correlate with their personal values. But even so, at least a partial resignation of their opinions is inevitable: as these people move to power, their personal beliefs fade into the background. First of all, what leads to victory is taken into account.
Each of us has both male and female. Women in power rely primarily on the male part of the personality
A.S.: In our country, the population does not expect politicians to fulfill what they promised. A politician’s capital is the intention of voters to vote for him. The more difficult life is for people, the brighter the image of the future that they draw in their imagination. The louder the political promises, the higher the motivation to support the one who makes them. Therefore, every time politicians are forced to promise something new. At the same time, you can always justify yourself by talking about the need to wisely consider the changed situation and follow it.
Can all this be said about women in power?
J.-P. F .: Each of us has both male and female. The female part of our personality has its own distinctive qualities: love, patience, understanding. Men’s is purposefulness, willpower, rationality. Women who realize themselves in power structures rely primarily on the male part of their personality.
A.S.: The psychological reasons why women want to get involved in politics are the same as for men. But a woman in power, even if she seeks to prove to others that she is, first of all, a good leader, unconsciously uses her secret weapon.
For example, Condoleezza Rice is often called the “head of Bush”, but her grooming, elegance, thoroughness in choosing a suit – all this does not allow you to forget that she is a woman. Sometimes demeanor, visual attractiveness, good taste and the ability to play on male weaknesses help women achieve the desired decision or divert attention from their unprofessionalism in certain matters.
Is there an ideal leader?
J.-P. F .: “Good” will be the one who will use his narcissism and megalomania for the benefit of people. Although there are many examples in history of how dangerous the abuse of power is. And it is difficult for a person (with very rare exceptions) to fight the desire to use power for personal purposes. That is why democratic procedures designed to limit this power are so important.
A.S.: A bad ruler is one whom people fear and do not respect; a good ruler is one whom people fear and respect; very good – the one they don’t notice. The more dysfunctional a society is, the more it is politicized and the more demands it makes on a person in power. Therefore, the image of an ideal politician, as a rule, corresponds to people’s expectations, it is good when it is combined with such eternal values as decency, honesty, responsibility, intelligence.