Putin is showing signs of a dark triad, the expert believes. What next steps does the psychologist think the Russian leader will take?
At the outset, it should be noted that President Putin did not submit to any investigation. This should be pointed out for the sake of argument, although it probably won't surprise anyone that (would) Russia's top statesman probably never made it to a session with an American mental health professional. The conclusions in the article were drawn by Dr Arthur Cassidy - a psychologist and international media commentator - based on outside, remote observation. He concluded that the Russian leader is showing signs of the so-called dark triad.
Cassidy told the News Letter website, "President Putin is an individual manifesting what we might call the dark triad. [...] We have used discursive analysis of his interviews and the rhetoric he uses. [...] What he represents is a demonstration of a high degree of control, which is generally called sociopathy or psychopathy."
So what exactly did Dr. Cassidy mean when he uttered his suspicion that Vladimir Putin shows signs of the dark triad?
The Dark Triad: 1. Psychopathic traits.
If you are now lost, let's go over the essential tenets of this statement in somewhat more layman's terms. Psychopaths and sociopaths are generally classified by some experts as having a disorder called antisocial personality disorder. Opinions vary on how close psychopaths and sociopaths are and how to "pigeonhole" them. In general, sociopathy is a disorder that develops over the course of a lifetime - through upbringing, after trauma, and so on. Psychopathy, on the other hand, is an innate thing, so harder to deal with. There is something "different" in both cases. Empathic people feel different energy from sociopaths and psychopaths from other people. You can read more about psychopaths and sociopaths in our article from January this year.
According to Medical News Today, people with antisocial personality disorder are generally characterized by being disrespectful of the law, cunning, impulsive and unable to plan. They tend to be irritable and aggressive without regard for safety and consistently irresponsible. This not very flattering list is complemented by a lack of remorse - a problem with empathy and conscience: Perhaps because psychopaths often have trouble even recognizing the emotions of others and reading their facial expressions. They are dominated by vanity and goal-oriented behavior backed by great charisma.
Dark Triad: 2. Dark Narcissism
The term narcissism comes from Greek mythology, where a boy named Narcissus looked at his reflection on the surface of the water for so long that he fell in and drowned. He admired his own beauty too much until he paid the price.
Narcissus sees himself as the most powerful individual on Earth. He is over-confident, arrogant, selfish, over-sensitive, but critical of his surroundings. If the narcissist doesn't get what he wants, he may become (not only) an emotional bully, as he firmly believes he is not getting the treatment he deserves.
Dark Triad: 3. Machiavellianism
That you don't know what this means? This term knows its name thanks to Niccolo Machiavelli. He was an Italian politician and diplomat who rose to fame in 1513 with his book The Prince, in which he describes the dark arts of cunning and deception in diplomacy.
Machiavelli is strongly focused on manipulating other people's emotions, willing to do anything - often without regard for morality - to get his way.
Vladimir Putin according to Dr. Cassidy
According to a psychologist, the Russian president shows signs of having no conscience. He does not see the difference between right and wrong. It is all about power and control in the sense of 'What is mine is mine. What's yours is mine."
Those leaders who are capable of genocide or some other such monstrosity may even feel good about the suffering of others and it motivates them to do more - they push the boundaries. While psychopaths are not murderers by definition, they often treat others with a superiority and lack the notion that there could simply be equality between them and those around them. The emotions and feelings of others go completely beyond that.
Why do psychopaths often get into leadership positions and politics? It's because of their charisma, sheer belief in themselves, high ambition and ruthlessness. At the same time, they crave power and control. They are thus perfectly equipped to climb the career ladder at breakneck speed and to influence the masses to choose to follow them.
Cassidy adds to his estimates by analyzing the childhood and adolescence that affect each of us. Putin, he believes, should come from a family where there was some controversy over the true paternity of little Vladimir. The family was largely nurtured by a man who personified communist values - a metal worker who had great respect for the Soviet Union.
As a boy, Putin was reportedly bullied and did not enjoy high status among his peers, despite being an intelligent child. Such a combination is said to have shaped his later functioning as an adult. "He was lonely as a child. Years of bullying brings out aggression and impulsivity in you. He craved power, so he became loyal to the KGB - he became an officer in it to demonstrate his feelings for the Russian communist ideology," Cassidyadds.
Because Cassidy believes Putin is indeed a psychopathic figure, he warns that the only possible peace can come on Russia's terms. Indeed, in his opinion, the punishment in the form of mainly economic sanctions that are now being heaped on Russia from the West will not affect Vladimir Putin personally very much. On the other hand, he does not believe that the Russians will actually resort to the use of nuclear weapons in the end. This would, among other things, absolutely destroy the political framing of Russia.
