Saturday
Was leafing through my old psychology textbook today. Back in 1960, the WHO had expressed the opinion that the stresses on persons in high positions are often too great for 'normal' people. "It suggested that as a consequence, individuals with a psychopathic personality makeup, who tend to exploit power for selfish purposes and have little concerns for ethical values or social progress, often become leaders." Well we know pyschological constructs are not written in stone and the line between normal and abnormal behaviour is rather thin. But some men and women in positions of power do suffer from megalomania, Indira Gandhi, Mayawathi, Jayalalithaa..and a host of other politicians all over the world. Is it power that corrupts or is it that only slightly insane people strive towards positions of supreme power?
Saturday, May 03, 2003
