In contemporary global politics, Donald Trump and Boris Johnson are considered as the leading narcissists; historically, Hitler and Mussolini are two prominent examples of such an attitude. People with narcissistic personalities are excessively involved in politics, says a recently published study named “Narcissism in Political Participation” by Pete Hatemi. In another study, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic argues that men are more involved and successful in politics because of their charismatic narcissistic personality through which they can make an impact on the general public; however, women are rather more competent than men when it comes to administration, management, and leadership.
In an attempt to answer the argument of whether Prime Minister Imran Khan is a narcissist or not, therefore, I list some of the central attributes of a narcissistic person below.
Firstly, a narcissist personality rarely comes with firm and consistent beliefs; it tends to shift from one belief to another – a tendency to making U-turns, in Pakistani political lingo. The centrality of the self is the only firm and unwavering belief. What is good for a narcissist’s own self is good for everyone, and thus, the country. If the beliefs serve their aspirations at the moment, they will opt for it until their aspirations shift. From a political analysis of a narcissist’s personality, one can easily find contradictions in their speeches; words are mere tools for political maneuvering, and to delude their followers and to get public admiration. Their politics is dependent on rhetoric instead of administrative practicality and vision. The characteristics of a narcissist and a populist are deeply intertwined. A populist wins public support by capitalising on the existing state of crisis, and as the crisis shifts, so does their rhetoric.
In contrast to a person with a compulsive personality, who places great value on logical reasoning, ideas, and belief system, a narcissist employs ideology only as an instrument to enhance his or her position. They can change their judgments and justify them with the “changing circumstances”. For instance, yesterday’s terrorist can become today’s martyr. Or, they can quickly shift from calling out a military dictator to filing a petition in the court to defend the dictator.
Secondly, they picture themselves as principled, incorruptible and trustworthy. They assert a singular sincerity towards the country and claim that everybody else is dishonest and a foreign agent. Charles A. O’Reilly says that true narcissists “believe they’re superior and thus not subject to the same rules and norms. Studies show they’re more likely to act dishonestly to achieve their ends. They know they’re lying, and it doesn’t bother them. They don’t feel shame.”
Thirdly, the understanding of the world only through their own personal experiences is a significant cognitive heuristic in them. The ‘I know all’ attitude makes them reluctant to accept constructive criticism and to acknowledge ignorance. Even if the whole country tells them of their ignorance, they would deny it.
Their tendency to make everything about themselves and to equate their interests with the interests of the country dominates every other characteristic. Perhaps, they actually and deeply believe that national survival is dependent on their reelection, ‘reselection’ or reappointment. To go to an extreme, they equate themselves with the country. Saddam Hussein’s aides, for example, used to say “Saddam is Iraq and Iraq is Saddam.” And in Saddam Hussein’s view, Iraq without him was incomprehensible.
Lastly, narcissist leaders lack empathy, are arrogant, and interpersonally exploitative. They are only concerned about themselves and not others which makes them apathetic towards others’ feelings. They show a haughty attitude and use others to achieve their own goals. For instance, they can use the wealth of a sugar industry tycoon for financial aid or they can seek help from the military-industrial establishment for political support. They glorify their achievements like winning a world cup or the establishment of a cancer hospital and try to pass their ambitions as the subject of their followers’ fantasies. Moreover, when they achieve some sort of success, they reinforce themselves as singularly more knowledgeable than all their competitors combined. Nevertheless, it is possible that their excessive self-confidence may motivate them to do something great, as the example of Steve Jobs may illustrate. But in recent years, researchers have rather emphasised narcissism’s destructive effects.
The deep relation of narcissism with populism is obvious in the aforementioned attributes. And if we add the right-wing element to it, the illustration is as bad as it could get. Whether Imran Khan has a narcissistic personality or not is for the readers to decide and for history to reveal as it unfolds.