When Leaders Go to War, Their Psychology Goes With Them

"War, in a great many cases, is a failure of this kind of sanity first. The missiles come second. The ego, in its compulsively defended state, functions as a kind of ordinary madness."

"Psychologist Bob Altemeyer's decades of empirical research on authoritarian personality structures identified a consistent cluster: rigid intolerance of ambiguity, hostility toward out-groups, and a need for dominance that resists legitimate challenge."

"The ego is not inherently a problem. It is the self's organizing principle, but when it becomes calcified around a wound, it can no longer perceive clearly or act from anything other than self-preservation."

Narcissistic and authoritarian personalities stem from fragile egos that resist challenges. Research indicates that narcissistic individuals are more likely to become leaders. When such leaders control military forces, their distorted internal world influences decision-making. Sanity, in a broader sense, involves the ability to see beyond one's self-interest. A compulsively defended ego can lead to ordinary madness, impairing clear perception and proportionate action. Authoritarian traits often co-occur with narcissism, including intolerance of ambiguity and a need for dominance.

Read at Psychology Today