Most Narcissistic Politicians

The definition of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, which is no longer used as a diagnosis because too many people have it, is, “a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this make of ultra confidence lies a fragile self-esteem that’s vulnerable to the slightest criticism.”

By definition, a politician is a narcissist. Here you have an individual who believes that he/she has the power to change the world. In their mind, this person truly believes that they can make a difference, introduce life-changing bills, make medical care and college free, food stamps for everyone, clean air, legal drugs; You name it, they can do it. Because they have that much power.

It was hard to limit this list, as there are so many narcissistic politicians, so these guys must be pretty special.

If they do say so themselves…

Napoleon Bonaparte

Ever heard of the phrase "Napoleon complex"? You can thank the 19th century Emperor of France Napoleon Bonaparte for that. Napoleon's behavior puts many other politicians throughout history to shame. A man of short stature, he made up for it with his ego. Napoleon was considered a tyrant with extreme grandiose beliefs and overly aggressive behavior, allegedly to make up for feelings of inferiority. He was so feared in his time that a nursery rhyme, The Bogeyman, was written to scare children into stopping bad behavior. Fortunately for the world, Napoleon's eventual downfall came at the hands of a united Europe who worked together to bring down one man whom they believed held more power than he should be allowed.

Anthony Weiner

It really isn’t nice to make fun of people’s names, but if the weiner fits… For a seemingly smart guy, if smart is defined by education, he has done some really narcissistic and stupid things. Let’s take the sexting scandal of 2011: Weiner, who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, decided to snap a picture of his manhood and tweet it. This wasn’t the first time. The guy had tweeted his "birdie" several times before. Dude, just keep the camera away from your pants. Weiner resigned from Congress soon after the scandal. His wife continued to stand by him for way longer than any human being should, until eventually during his narcissistic ass in 2016.

Bill Clinton

Our favorite Presidential narcissist gave us the infamous blue dress and him thinking it was okay to "not have sex with that woman." Hey Bill, what did you have exactly? How highly must one think of themselves to think they are untouchable by scandal or scrutiny? Worst of all, poor Monica got the short end of the stick, literally…

Adolf Hitler

Need we say more? This is a man that mass-murdered millions based on his belief that his idea of the world was the only right one. I feel like narcissism has to be the primary character trait in any totalitarian leader, but Hitler certainly takes the cake on this front.

Richard Nixon

There has actually been serious analysis done on President Nixon’s narcissism. Why would he save the Watergate tapes? He knew the political ramifications. He knew it would lead to his downfall and tarnish his Presidential legacy, yet his narcissism was more powerful than his brain. That is what happens when you think with your ego. Granted it isn’t easy to be the most powerful person in the world, but sometimes, you need to listen to your advisors and realize that the sun, moon, and stars don’t orbit around you.

Vladimir Putin

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin has often been referred to as a “narcissistic autocrat.” In a 2014 article in The Atlantic, the author wrote,

“Putin’s apparent desire to reunite former Soviet republics could suggest he harbors fantasies of unlimited power... He shows difficulty tolerating criticism, which could be because his pride is easily injured. But it’s also clearly a method of maintaining control of his government that has strong precedents in Soviet and Russian history… His invasion of Ukraine could be seen as the move of a man who feels he's entitled to have what he wants. But it could be a cool-headed political strategy aimed at ensuring Russia’s regional dominance and ability to challenge the West…All those action man photos could be a symptom of a grandiose self-image. But maybe he just took his shirt off because it was hot that day.”

Rumors of him poisoning his enemies? That’s a whole other ball of narcissistic wax…

Ted Kennedy

Was Ted Kennedy born a narcissist or was his narcissism thrust upon him? When surrounded by such privilege and power, it is hard to know which is true. But looking back at his life, it seems both might have been accurate. Kennedy was caught cheating while at Harvard and was expelled twice. Next step? The Army. And then back to Harvard. Because a true narcissist is never accountable for his actions—he simply rises above them. While in law school, he was caught driving recklessly four times. Four. Yet he never lost this license and still was able to pass the bar and become an attorney. But his most notable act of narcissism? Can you spell Chappaquiddick? Maybe if this narcissist had been held accountable for driving under the influence, Mary Jo Kopechne would still be alive.

Sarah Palin

Kudos to the woman who throws her hat into the political arena and can see Russia from her house, yet knows very little about the real world. It is a tough situation to put yourself in. Fortunately, when you are a complete narcissist, you don’t see any of your flaws, so no harm, no foul. Palin believes everything she says, even if the rest of America has no idea what she is talking about. You have to wonder if she even realizes that she hasn’t been Vice President for the past few years. Delusions of grandeur much?

Muammar Gaddafi

Plenty of dictators have indulged in strange behavior, but Gaddafi's quirks were uniquely his own. Beyond Gaddafi's bizarre clothing style, he would have fallen into the type of narcissist that many psychologists call malignant narcissism. These type of narcissists are extremely self-absorbed, and see themselves as saviors of their people. In extremely strange past comments Gaddafi is quoted saying "My people, they all love me, they all love me, they will protect me." He was incapable of believing that his people actually did not all love him. Malignant narcissists usually have a paranoid attitude and blame outside forces when things go wrong. Gaddafi, however, may have gone beyond typical malignant narcissism. Some of his worst behavior was reminiscent of borderline personality disorder, a disorder marked by unstable mood and behavior.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Still not sure how this guy became Governor of California, but we are also not sure if he can pronounce narcissist. By definition, isn’t anyone who holds the title of Mr. Universe a tad narcissistic? Let’s face it, if a person played Conan the Barbarian, his ego is anything but small. Accused of sexual misconduct before taking office, this two term governor was born in Austria, and landed himself a Kennedy for a wife. But, like most narcissists, he managed to screw that up soon after it became public that he had fathered a son with a household employee. With self entitlement comes selfish behavior.

Kim Jong-Il

The son of the late "Dear Leader" Kim il Sung of the communist North Korea, Kim Jong-il was a classic narcissist if there ever was one. During his rule over North Korea, Kim Jong-il amended the constitution to officially give him and his later successors the title of "supreme leader of North Korea." Kim's narcissism can be traced back to his early childhood where sources claim that his lack of the mother/son bond could be to blame. Without that maternal bond, Kim Jong-il instead dedicated his early life to following in his father's footsteps. He became the top propagandist of North Korea who was responsible for elevating his father from political leader to a kind of deity while securing his family's grip on the state. After his father died and he took rule, he became more and more obsessed with Western culture, especially with Hollywood movies. This strange dictator fancied himself the star of his own private movie.

Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro was the leader who never wanted to leave. This narcissistic dictator often enjoyed telling his impoverished people that all would be good and he would lead them to a better life. Really, he was just speaking to himself. With comparisons often made to Hitler and Stalin, he has little to be proud of and left a horrific path of destruction. While those two classic narcissists didn’t feel the need to pick successors, at least Castro realized that he had a familial option. By choosing his brother to be the next leader, he could keep it in the family and not have any dissenters take the reigns.

Donald Trump

The ultimate narcissist, Donald Trump has been tooting his own horn long before he decided to run for President. His name has appeared on buildings, casinos, parks, planes… basically wherever he could put it. Would a true narcissist have hair like his? One must wonder if Mrs. Trump has ever been allowed to touch it or comb it; her hair is always perfect so why doesn’t she help The Donald with his situation? Another classic and classy moment for The Donald came during a Republican debate when Marco Rubio mentioned Trump's small hands. The Donald's reply? "Believe me, I don't have any complaints 'down there.' " Aside from his ineptness in politics, (though that hasn’t stopped politicians in the past), his total lack of self editing in person and on Twitter has made his narcissism a fascinating thing to watch. Thanks to the Republican party and roughly half of America, the whole world will now get to study this widespread personality disorder up close and personal...