Does Barack Obama suffer from "the god complex"?

"It's amazing how silent people were about Bush/Cheney's absurdly extreme narcissism,..."

I don't know that this statement is particularly true, nyctuber. I did a related search for stories on former President Bush; here are the results.

Thank you for commenting and reading.

That would be the last think we need now an American president suffering from NPD. Especially has we face several major Major challenges. 

Bush was arrogant and believed in being the tough guy however he was nor suffering from NPD. Would he have been as well then he would still be in power and have declared Marshal Law when he could.

NPD is a bit one dimensional to label Obama. I think he suffers from something I call the "seijin" complex, or Saint complex. People of intelligence and verve set out to be high achievers and help humanity along the way.

This is basically emulating the noble ideal of being saintly in operation but unconsciously fostering their own seed view of patronizing the populace. In the course of doing so, they encounter the situation that most people are inferior to them in intellect (which they suspected anyway) and more venal in empathy/morals to the point that they gradually give up on the idea of "assistance" as it morphs into "the need for guidance".

Ironically their efforts to help end up re-affirming their hidden belief that ordinary people aren't really worthy of help and so they end up even more callous and cynical than the average. I believe Stalin toyed with priesthood which would be a perfect example. Regardless, people like this I've met and made this assumption about are very often doctors, lawyers, psychologists or politicians. Businessmen never seem to suffer this as they are open minded to opportunites and are basic cynics (or more kindly: realists) to start with.

The final state of mind for the "seijin" is one of jadedness as they use their intellect to bend the interpretation of every other person's action to being one of selfish intent. This is like the condition of the thief who trusts no one. Most people's ego cannot accept that the average other person is better than themselves. Thus the thief thinks everyone is out to steal from him, and Barack sees everyone elses actions as being that of an "operator" attempting to further themselves behind a wall of noble-minded rhetoric. If not, then they see the person as a naive simpleton who doesn't understand the "reality" of people. It's a mind-trap.

It's not too surprising the Conservative World Net Daily would highlight such an article given its preoccupation with coverage of any item of criticism or negativity, now pondering the President's mental health.

Karen, your comments are always appreciated. Thank you for reading!

Well,  we will always choose heroes and watch our own grandiose hopes become as real as ash it appears ..

Good story Rhonda .. x

Rhonda you are equal to cake !  And that is my favourite form in the universe !

Why thank you, Art de Rivers. A very interesting 'form' indeed that you have chosen as your favorite:)!

This article could hardly be called journalism.  Who are these so called "experts"?

More criticism of a president who has been in office for less than 5 months and is already tackling our big domestic problems as well as problems abroad, such as Iran, North Korea. 

Would be really nice to see weak stories like this disappear in favor of real debate on moving our country forward.  You can call Obama all the names you want, but at the end of the day he's still the President who was overwhelming elected by the US and he is the one leading this country.

I know he is . Narcissism is my specialization.  I posted this on Roy's Website.  I will just post a little here..You can go there to see more if you are really interested in looking at what our leaders and esp O is about. 

http://thegrove.mywowbb.com/forum5/2281.html

Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/13/2008

Barack Obama appears to be a narcissist. Granted, only a qualified mental health diagnostician can determine whether someone suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and this, following lengthy tests and personal interviews. But, in the absence of access to Barack Obama, one has to rely on his overt performance and on testimonies by his closest, nearest and dearest.

Narcissistic leaders are nefarious and their effects pernicious. They are subtle, refined, socially-adept, manipulative, possessed of thespian skills, and convincing. Both types equally lack empathy and are ruthless and relentless or driven.

Perhaps it is time to require each candidate to high office in the USA to submit to a rigorous physical and mental checkup with the results made public.

I. Upbringing and Childhood

Obama's early life was decidedly chaotic and replete with traumatic and mentally bruising dislocations. Mixed-race marriages were even less common then. His parents went through a divorce when he was an infant (two years old). Obama saw his father only once again, before he died in a car accident. Then, his mother re-married and Obama had to relocate to Indonesia: a foreign land with a radically foreign culture, to be raised by a step-father. At the age of ten, he was whisked off to live with his maternal (white) grandparents. He saw his mother only intermittently in the following few years and then she vanished from his life in 1979. She died of cancer in 1995.

Pathological narcissism is a reaction to prolonged abuse and trauma in early childhood or early adolescence. The source of the abuse or trauma is immaterial: the perpetrators could be dysfunctional or absent parents, teachers, other adults, or peers.

II. Behavior Patterns

The narcissist:

* Feels grandiose and self-important (e.g., exaggerates accomplishments, talents, skills, contacts, and personality traits to the point of lying, demands to be recognised as superior without commensurate achievements);

* Is obsessed with fantasies of unlimited success, fame, fearsome power or omnipotence, unequalled brilliance (the cerebral narcissist), bodily beauty or sexual performance (the somatic narcissist), or ideal, everlasting, all-conquering love or passion;

* Firmly convinced that he or she is unique and, being special, can only be understood by, should only be treated by, or associate with, other special or unique, or high-status people (or institutions);

* Requires excessive admiration, adulation, attention and affirmation – or, failing that, wishes to be feared and to be notorious (Narcissistic Supply);

* Feels entitled. Demands automatic and full compliance with his or her unreasonable expectations for special and favourable priority treatment;

* Is "interpersonally exploitative", i.e., uses others to achieve his or her own ends;

* Devoid of empathy. Is unable or unwilling to identify with, acknowledge, or accept the feelings, needs, preferences, priorities, and choices of others;

* Constantly envious of others and seeks to hurt or destroy the objects of his or her frustration. Suffers from persecutory (paranoid) delusions as he or she believes that they feel the same about him or her and are likely to act similarly;

* Behaves arrogantly and haughtily. Feels superior, omnipotent, omniscient, invincible, immune, "above the law", and omnipresent (magical thinking). Rages when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted by people he or she considers inferior to him or her and unworthy.

Narcissism is a defense mechanism whose role is to deflect hurt and trauma from the victim's "True Self" into a "False Self" which is omnipotent, invulnerable, and omniscient. This False Self is then used by the narcissist to garner narcissistic supply from his human environment. Narcissistic supply is any form of attention, both positive and negative and it is instrumental in the regulation of the narcissist's labile sense of self-worth.

Interesting post. Thanks, Rhonda J Mangus.

You are very welcome, yuls.source! Thank you for reading, commenting, and for the recommendation!

I can post many professional people who do not care at all about politics that know this is  true whether you like this  source or not Karen.   Any depth psychologist that would study his book and the way he got elected knows he cannot help but be  deeply wounded by the man who left him and his mother who also left .

It is only  the surface that an N appears confident. O represents our narcissistic culture  we live in .  Culture of Narcissism and Revolt of the Elites by Christopher Lasch  are  recommended for those willing to discover more truth about the painful place we will be  finding ourselves in.   Truth can be painful.  It is just as a child refuses to believe an abusive parent does not love them.  It can take a lifetime , usually at least entry into the second half of life before people let go of all their defenses and get the glimpse of their pain.  Some never take  that journey.

It is so sad that this country cannot read the right books for God's sake about human behavior and not repeat the crap that keeps happening.  Man know thyself.  To Thine ownself be true.

We elected a man that refused to provide documents that all other presidents did.  We have never seen his grades, his health records, his correspondence when he was a senator.  He has never worked a real job.  Now he is managing a car industry and in charge of our safety.

I am afraid for everyone.  "Obama is a perfect reflection of the peak insanity in what we call the American consumer society.   Narcissist and psychological manipulation.  Too bad for him that reality will not provide him much if any Narcissistic Supply.  Iran, North Korea,  Russia, China, the Markets will hurt his Narcissism greatly". (The Grove)http://http://thegrove.mywowbb.com/forum5/2281.html

I close with the estimation by a man who knew himself at great costs.  Carl Jung said that 40% of the population is mentally ill.  Today is more like 60%.  Mental illness encompasses being a fanatic, compulsive lying, major repression, denial, addiction; anything that keeps one from living a healthy , ethical life.

RAW DREAMS: 

Jung's ghost came to us while sleeping

 His face,  half Picassoed

Was weeping  :

Broken child and broken natural law

Stood in company

With collective flaw,

And we nailed our hopes thereafter

To the floor , to the floor.

Here comes the God of Tragedy

In keeping with the raw ..

Of course there is always the issue of possible collective narcissistic blackening rage and the way that Obama becomes situated right inside it .. 

One might say - he offered a bright star and quickly socio economic circumstances created a downpour of acid reign and  opinion-tar .. No do not laugh !   -  For it has been written,  that  quillions of people quickly went porcupine ...Tipped in best creosote ..

After all,  if ,  after an unreal greedy set of illusions like loaning money to people who could not afford to pay it back  (sub prime crisis)  - someone (Obama) issues a policy of saving the day by recapitalisation of bust banks then you might just ask can privileged ways of being still exist in that new  shocked off economy  coated with realism no-one can digest apparently ?

Can things continue in old fashioned privileged ways?. No doubt those dipping in money pools and coated with rich black oils and car earings would want that .. After all they  are the Chief narcissists .. Bow down all to Total-Shitting-Bull ..

Suddenly Obama carries the "blackened image" and the shadowing rage at him for daring to offer a brighter hope which frankly no-one  could deliver .

Why ?

Because the whole greedy culture of over-reward at the top of US and in every society is narcissistic to the core  and sets the tar-dancing tunes.. Bugger my neighbor oh so skillfully is the quiet acid ethic  ..

Corruption with sugar on too - with a slice of protective law - please .. ...

Make mine a cup of coffin - somewhere else in the world or on some lower classes below.

And bright flag-waggy images of "saving the country" from someone or other ..

How about ourselves .. ?  You throw the first stone at me - and find its a mirror - and Obama is a mirror for all of our cultures  and we are the mirror for him ...

Boy,  we are the tar-race pretending to be clean aren't we ? 

My icon says it all  - please follow me - I need disciples - ... I am a dog ... Barking at the mad world ...Painting with his paws  and sometimes howling ..

Deep bless and all that ..

Woof .. ADR ..

Anything that you post is of consequence to me and anyone that reads it.  We have the right to comment and post other information. 

Holy Macaroni!  Should we all stop making assessments, judgements and critiques here?

Perhaps the professional Journals of the education, psychology and medical world should be irrelevant?  Long distance education and information is why we are here.  I grant you that any deep analysis must be done personally however we know everything about O except what kind of very personal items he likes to use.  There are plenty for any Criminal Psychologist to determine some of the behaviours he has already exhibited are  which are way out of line!W

WE allready have so many laws on the books that if they were obeyed we would not

have some big problems.  Gun legislation, immigrant, food inspection etc.  The problem is we have very few people that live by the Golden Rule  and practice entitlement and use  all sorts of distorted thinking to justify their soft crimes which have become huge problems.   We want convenience over subordination to a higher self.. Obama will pay for his damage to his soul without any of us writing about it. Unfortunately he leads a lot into a ditch.

The real difficulty here is not that one can't be informed but the bi partisan bias which interferes with objective information. What is important about the disorder is how does O deal with it and how does it impede him from making the decisions he must as President.  Compulsive lying is a major problem for many Politicians..not just O.

They get elected by constant lying and promising something . This statement from the posted article above should be encouraged:

Perhaps it is time to require each candidate to high office in the USA to submit to a rigorous physical and mental checkup with the results made public.