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View Full Version : Is Bush a narcissist?



Little Texan
09-03-2005, 07:07 PM
I used to not know what a narcissist was, until I found the definition of narcissism on the net. Then I started thinking of famous people that fit the definition to a tee, such as O.J. Simpson, Martha Stewart, Rush Limbaugh, Tom Cruise, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. The following is an article I found on the web regarding this subject.

http://www.theagelesswisdom.com/RutsGrooves/04_03_08.html


There is a much bigger untold story that unites Martha Stewart with President Bush, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Jackson and many other rich and famous Americans whose fortunes, financial and otherwise, are crumbling like New York's Twin Towers. Without some familiarity with psychological disorders, it's unlikely anyone would notice the pattern of dysfunctional arrogance in the headlines lately.
The clinical term for those who express such high levels of superiority is Narcissism, a personality disorder that has no known cause and no known cure. Tragically Narcissism is not only widespread in America, but many otherwise healthy people, confusing pride and condescension for self-confidence, have learned to respect and even idolize Narcissists.
If you remember your Greek mythology, Narcissus fell in love with his reflection in a pool of water. But in fact, Narcissists do not love or respect themselves. It is only an appearance. Their egotism is a charade. Their perpetual quest for power and control is a cover for not understanding their true value. The essential problem in dealing with Narcissists is their obsession with the shallow appearance of things, and Martha Stewart is the epitome of honoring appearance over substance.
Narcissists don't think they are superior, they in fact know they are superior. They are compulsive, even grandiose perfectionists.
They are aggressive and vindictive. They will lie and manipulate others while demanding unquestioning loyalty from the very people they seek to deceive. They are emotionally insensitive and largely devoid of empathy or sympathy. They will say and do the most cruel and abusive things and justify their behavior with simplistic rationalizations like, "You made me lie about you."
A Narcissist can not accept criticism of any kind, and in spite of their superiority, they feel quite victimized as if life is a constant struggle against enemies. They can be very charming, seductive, and often generous beyond belief ˜ until challenged.Then, watch out. If their superiority is questioned, all hell will break loose as they fight to regain authority and control.
Because Narcissists are obsessed by perfectionism and the appearance of things, they are often very successful people. Further, Narcissists tend to surround themselves with two kinds of people: weak people-pleasers and other Narcissists.
In the long run these people are pathetic. Without any true sense of self, their lives are empty and meaningless. Success to a Narcissist is limited to money and property and the decadent power it yields. In a recent television interview, Martha Stewart told Barbara Walters that she just couldn't bear the thought of going to prison because, "There is no much I have to do." Poor Martha ... is there no one to tell her that nothing she's doing matters much at all in the scheme of things? She has no idea that her emphasis on appearance has left her with nothing of meaning or real value. In other words, Narcissists are the ultimate materialists.
In the same way, President George W. Bush has a sense of entitlement as big as all of Texas. Though there is still debate about whether he was AWOL from the Alabama National Guard, there is no question that he received an "early out" eight months in advance of his scheduled discharge ˜ a highly irregular privilege granted to the son of a wealthy and influential U.S. Senator.
Bush acts as if he has a clear mandate to rule America, though he is a selected rather than elected President. With the bravado of a Warrior-King, he publicly dared Al-Qaeda to "Bring it on," while sending young, duty-bound men and women to fight in his place. He preemptively and unilaterally invaded Iraq, defying the United Nations to prove the United Nations would not be defied. Like many Narcissists, Bush has surrounded himself with other Narcissists who do whatever they want regardless of what others think. And still many Americans mistake his haughtiness for leadership.
Rush Limbaugh still claims his drug abuse was the result of back pain, though his "medicine" was purchased from a drug pusher in a parking lot. Without the slightest hint of humility, he regularly boasts that his special "talent" is "on loan from God" and that his commentary is done with "half my brain tied behind my back."
And then there is Michael Jackson ˜ talk about a sense of superiority and an obsessive preoccupation with appearance. Only the strange attraction Narcissists have for each other can explain Limbaugh's tortured apologies for Jackson's bizarre behavior.
The best part of this is that Narcissists are falling down all around us. Perhaps the time when the meek shall inherit the earth is finally upon us.
Most people do not know the term and remain unfamiliar with the profile of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), but everyone knows a few. Narcissists are toxic and abusive. When you see one, get away and stay away.
Instead, look for humility in the people you wish to admire. Truly successful people are grateful, kind, and fair-minded, not pompous and conceited. If Narcissist worship in this country continues unabated, we'll destroy ourselves. On the other hand, if we learn to look beyond the appearance of things to truly important values ˜ love, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, kindness, peace and justice ˜ we can redefine wealth and success to include non-material, spiritual values, the true principles upon which this country was founded.