Tilting at Windmills

Sean Connery starred in over 60 movies but will perhaps be best remembered for his portrayal of Bond, James Bond. The Bond films were somewhat formulaic. You had your opening sequence before the title, great theme music, a collection of attractive women, and the arch villain. It is this last character that is of interest here. The antagonist was always a megalomaniacal malefactor bent on world domination through any means necessary, most of which involved the destruction of all who got in his way.

 

Bond Villians

 

 

Megalomania is a psychological condition listed under narcissistic personality disorder symptoms. Psychologists evaluating this disorder pay close attention to fantasies of power, relevance, and omnipotence that leads them to think that they are the best. Historical examples might include Napoleon Bonaparte, Hitler, Stalin, or Mao Zedong. These leaders all thought that they were the only ones capable who could save their homelands and bring other countries under their control. They would continue to seek infinite power and regularly felt capable of the unattainable.

 

They all tend to have an exaggerated self-concept and will continue to seek social validation of their power and worth. They believe they, and only they, are essential. They feel they are indestructible and that only they can solve complex problems. They will put others to the test for comparison to prove their own omnipotence. They never admit mistakes and are hypersensitive to the reactions of others. They will regularly blame others for their mistakes.

 

If any of these traits seem familiar, you have probably already identified the subject at hand. Should it come as any surprise that this individual is taking a “scorched earth” attitude during his retreat from power? Should we be shocked at his behavior when we have seen so many other examples of his feelings of omnipotence and rejection of personal failure? By exaggerating his abilities and personal achievements he has shown an internal weak self-esteem and an inability to face the frustration of that failure. He can’t fail so he will never acknowledge failure.

 

We should not look to a megalomaniac to act like a normal person. Historically, others in his position have placed country above politics. They have graciously accepted the will of the people and have assisted incoming administrations to help them better manage one of the most difficult jobs on the planet. That would be something an individual without a serious psychological illness might do. So, don’t act surprised when this person refuses to accept the inevitable, blames others for his failure, denies the reality that surrounds him, and continues to tilt at windmills.

 

 

 

If you think I am talking about Don Quixote, consider yourself well-educated but misinformed. You have the wrong Don.

 

“Egotism is the anesthetic which nature gives us to deaden the pain of being a fool.”-Dr. Herbert Shofield-