In certain research it has been found that there is a higher rate of sociopathy and psychopathy in CEOs compared to the general population. Certain traits in the realm of sociopathy can be desirable when confidence to act and strategic thinking are prerequisites for success. This can be a good thing when paired with integrity, empathy, and strong communication skills. One study found the sociopathy rate among CEOs could be as high as 4 to 12 percent higher than the general population. Another study found that it was as high as 25%.
Sociopathy is the older informal term for what is now called ASPD or Antisocial Personality Disorder. It is defined as having a lack of empathy, a tendency to manipulate and deceive, impulsive aggression, a disregard for rules and laws, and little or no remorse or guilt for their actions when they harm others. While this definition lists undesirable traits, not all people with ASPD are evil or dangerous and some can use their unique qualities for societal good.
Most successful politicians need to at least be skilled in the art of manipulating people. Winston Churchill used his charm and manipulative abilities to build a rapport with Joseph Stalin which was of tactical benefit during WWII. While Churchill held a deep ideological contempt for the Russian leader, he used his manipulative skills to build a formidable ally with this “fellow warlord.”
While Churchill may have exhibited some sociopathic traits these were used for good, not evil. When Donald Trump entered the political spectrum after the 2016 election, a group of psychiatrists went against principles of their profession to advance an observation without a formal in-person session. That observation concluded that DJT was an unbalanced sociopath who exhibited signs of being cruel, narcissistic, paranoid, and prone to delusions of grandeur. They violated their “Goldwater rule” as they felt it their duty to warn of an impending danger to others. Trump’s response was telling. He announced that he wasn’t just “smart, but genius…and a very stable genius at that!”
While, as previously stated, ASPD is not of itself a predictor of evil intent, but when combined with malignant narcissism, you have a volatile and dangerous mixture. The addition of malignant narcissism brings sadism, paranoia, a grandiose sense of self-importance, a lack of empathy and remorse, manipulative and controlling behavior, and a willingness to harm or exploit others to achieve personal goals.
All of what is described above can be shown in anecdotal
observations of our current president. Perhaps the most dangerous of his traits is his ability to manipulate, a skill honed over many decades. His MAGA faithful bring to mind a sci-fi classic horror film that is now protected in the National Film Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. The Invasion of the Body Snatchers ranks number nine in the sci-fi genre. I remember seeing this 1956 film “back in the day” and I found it truly terrifying. The Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a political allegory if viewed as a warning against conformity and loss of identity.
In the film alien spores drop from outer space and grow into large seed pods. These pods possess the ability to assimilate the physical traits and personalities of any human who sleeps nearby. The result is a duplicate “human” identical to the original but devoid of all human emotion. These “pod people” then help distribute more pods to take over other populations. I find many in the MAGA cult to be pod-like in their thinking as they take on the traits of Pod-master Trump. It is sociopathy by absorption.
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