In a totalitarian regime, definitions and interpretations are often set by the leaders themselves. They tend to have extreme pride and overconfidence, as well as a complete disregard for the “intellect” of others. They are powerful and have the means to “impose” their vision on everyone else while punishing those who dare to oppose them. These character traits can be summarized by the term “hubris.” In Greek mythology, “hubris” describes the behavior of an individual who defies the norms or challenges the gods. Perpetrators of hubris are usually punished by the Greek gods for their arrogance; however, such a punishment seldom occurs in real life in society.
There are fourteen symptoms of hubris syndrome identified by Owen and Davidson, neuropsychiatrists and researchers at Duke University:
- A propensity to see the world primarily as an arena in which to exercise power and seek glory.
- A predisposition to take actions that seem likely to cast the individual in a good light – taken in part in order to enhance their image.
- A disproportionate concern with image and presentation.
- A messianic way of talking and a tendency to exaltation in speech and manner.
- Identification with the nation or organization—to the extent that they regard the outlook and interests of the two as identical (unique factor).
- A tendency to speak of themselves in the third person or use the royal “we” (unique).
- excessive confidence in the individual’s own judgment and contempt for the advice or criticism of others.
- Exaggerated self-belief, bordering on a sense of omnipotence, in what they personally can achieve.
- A belief that rather than being accountable to the mundane court of colleagues or public opinion, the real court to which they answer is much greater: history or god.
- An unshakable belief that in that court they will be vindicated (unique).
- Loss of contact with reality; is often associated with progressive isolation.
- Restlessness, recklessness, and impulsiveness
- A tendency to allow their ‘broad vision’, especially their conviction about the moral rectitude of a proposed course of action, to obviate the need to consider other aspects of it, such as its practicality, cost, and the possibility of unwanted outcomes (unique).
- Incompetence in carrying out a policy, where things go wrong precisely because too much self-confidence has led the leader not to worry about the nuts and bolts of a policy.
In researching these symptoms, it was noted that Hubris syndrome shares quite a few symptoms with cluster B personality disorders, which are characterized by dramatic, unpredictable thinking or behavior and grandiose ideas of oneself. Amongst those disorders are narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), antisocial disorder (APD), and histrionic personality disorder (HPD). NPD was especially emphasized, as 50% of the symptoms of Hubris syndrome are in common with it. Being a personality disorder that involves exaggerated feelings of self-importance, excessive need for admiration, and a lack of empathy towards others, such overlap doesn’t come as a surprise.
Hubris syndrome, however, has five unique symptoms of its own:
- Conflating one’s self with the organization; using the royal “we,” the leader identifies himself with the state. “I am the state. If you are against me, you are against the state. ”
- Believing that a higher court (perhaps God) will vindicate them, they say, “No one can beat me, God is with me!”
- Recklessness and impulsiveness are quick and uncalculated decisions without proper studies by experts in their respective fields, such as engaging in large economic projects which may dive the nation into further debt rather than prosper the economy.
- The righteousness that ignores practicalities or cost-issuing laws, which may be against basic human rights, under the pretext of protecting the nation against “evil forces”.
Hubris syndrome isn’t limited to political leaders, any person in a position of considerable power can suffer from Hubris. Although Hubris syndrome is not a formal diagnosis and has not been yet accepted by the medical community, a formal diagnosis is necessary in a world full of wars and injustice. Some may question the importance of such a diagnosis since Hubris leaders are not likely to accept the idea of them having a problem, let alone seek treatment. However, such a formal diagnosis will allow for more research, which will enable us to understand the dynamics of the interaction of Hubris leaders and others, in hopes of raising awareness and preventing the nations from collapse. A Hubris political leader may cause a 1000’s of years old nation, to collapse in one decade or less.