Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Narcissism in Full Bloom
- 2 Dreams of Glory and Narcissistic Rage
- 3 Great Expectations
- 4 Daughters of Destiny I: Indira Gandhi
- 5 Daughters of Destiny II: Benazir Bhutto
- 6 Narcissism and the Charismatic Leader–Follower Relationship
- 7 Selfobjects: The Special Role of Wives and the Inner Circle
- 8 Narcissism, Entitlement, Sex, and Power
- 9 An Exceptional Exception: The Rise and Fall of Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi
- 10 Phallic Narcissism in the Governor’s Mansion
- 11 The Impact of Illness and Age on Narcissistic Leaders
- 12 Seeking Immortality: Dictators and Their Progeny
- 13 Leaders by Default: Second-Choice Sons
- Concluding Note
- Bibliography
- Index
- References
11 - The Impact of Illness and Age on Narcissistic Leaders
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2014
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Narcissism in Full Bloom
- 2 Dreams of Glory and Narcissistic Rage
- 3 Great Expectations
- 4 Daughters of Destiny I: Indira Gandhi
- 5 Daughters of Destiny II: Benazir Bhutto
- 6 Narcissism and the Charismatic Leader–Follower Relationship
- 7 Selfobjects: The Special Role of Wives and the Inner Circle
- 8 Narcissism, Entitlement, Sex, and Power
- 9 An Exceptional Exception: The Rise and Fall of Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi
- 10 Phallic Narcissism in the Governor’s Mansion
- 11 The Impact of Illness and Age on Narcissistic Leaders
- 12 Seeking Immortality: Dictators and Their Progeny
- 13 Leaders by Default: Second-Choice Sons
- Concluding Note
- Bibliography
- Index
- References
Summary
Though he has watched a decent age go by,
A man will sometimes still desire the world.
– Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus
THE IMPACT OF THE END OF LIFE ON THE NARCISSIST
Dreams of glory never die. They don’t even fade away. And as the time horizons increasingly shrink with the ebbing of the years, there is often an increased urgency for the narcissistic leader to accomplish his goals. The consummate narcissist does not mellow with age. Nor does the consummate narcissist accept with equanimity fatal illness, which instead can serve as a spur to his ambitions.
MAO ZEDONG: RACING HEEDLESSLY TO ACCOMPLISH HIS GOALS
Thus, for Mao Zedong, the reckless pace of both the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, which had such destructive consequences for his country, may well have been a consequence of his facing the end of his years with his revolution not yet consolidated. Mao was surely designated for a place of honor in the pantheon of history-changing charismatic leaders, but for the consummate narcissist, there is never enough. He was seriously ill, aware that there was little time left to fully accomplish his goals. Indeed, many China analysts have argued that his program to achieve a balance among the sources of power in the Peoples Republic – the military, the party, and the bureaucracy – was necessary but would require decades to accomplish, and Mao knew his time was short.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Narcissism and PoliticsDreams of Glory, pp. 158 - 181Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2014