Is it time for NPD testing of politicians Most of the worst disasters in human history were caused b

[Baobab]

Neuroimaging can now detect narcissistic personality disorder, with a high degree of accuracy.

Its now possible to, by means of a simple test, prevent new Hitlers and Stalins from getting their start in politics.

Should we test all politicians before putting them on the government dole, and periodically retest them so any who slipped through could be caught?

Even if the cost of doing so was new Legislatures, new Supreme Courts, even new Presidents?

[Human101948]

1. Yes, it is a mental illness proven to cause misery, suffering, pain and death...

Of course, being mentally ill has never been a disqualifying characteristic in American politics.

[Baobab]

2. We could save trillions of dollars and billions of human lives

with just a simple little test.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Basic problem here...

You pretty much have to have that disorder to even want the job.

[Baobab]

5. that is a problem

We should make politics much easier to deal with for people. Part time.

[Act_of_Reparation]

4. No. It isn't.

Testing for mental illness as a prerequisite to hold office sets a poor precedent, don't you think?

And no, most of the worst disasters in human history weren't caused by narcissists. They were caused by millions of perfectly average dipshits marching lockstep behind a narcissist for the most ridiculous or banal of reasons.

[Baobab]

6. 'Prudential measures'

as they say at the WT0...

[Act_of_Reparation]

7. 'Bullshit'

as I say whenever someone hands me a weaksauce defense of an inane proposition.

[LostOne4Ever]

8. +infinity nt

[LostOne4Ever]

9. You know there is already an easy test to see if someone is a narrcissit...

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=#009999]Just ask them if they think they are a narcissist, and if they say yes then they are a narcissist. True narcissist don't see narcissism as a bad thing and might even be proud of it. No expensive neuro-imaging required.

All that said, I think your suggestion of a test of office like that is a truly terrible idea. Sorry.[/font]

[Baobab]

12. real narcissists often go to great lengths to hide/deny/conceal that fact

They will often find somebody who is normal to imitate.

Has that ever happened to you?

You should watch the three "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" films.

That film is really about narcissistic personality disorder.

The "vampire" myth is really about the terrifying amoral behavior of (often very rich or very poor) NPDs

[LostOne4Ever]

14. Actually what I am saying is based on research

http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/08/06/it-takes-just-one-question-to-identify-narcissism/73260.html

[mr blur]

10. Are you going to be testing for 'racial purity' as well?

Political correctness?
Sexual orientation?
Ignorance?
I would say that religious belief is a sign of mental instability - do you want to weed out the believers in invisible supernatural friends, too? Would have kept Hitler out.

Of course you could always leave the decision to the voters - people do get the leaders they deserve/vote for, after all.

[Baobab]

11. I'm sorry, NPD is a character disorder and it greatly increases the chance that somebody will be a

criminal. thats not a matter of dispute.

Almost all serial killers are NPD. All of the worst leaders in history were all obviously NPD.

All i am saying is that Americans have a right to leaders who have a functioning conscience since they write policy.

Policy that written by NPDs is often really bad policy.

[AlbertCat]

13. Tests for office....

Oh man! I see the terrorists really won big time!

[Taitertots]

15. Brain scans for thought crime. That's the ticket.

Replace narcissism with autism spectrum and you might understand why your ideas are so offensive.

[Baobab]

16. Sorry, I don't follow.

If we want to prevent autism, we need to understand this issue:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790953/

pro-oxidant substances work by the glutathione pathway, so increasing glutathione precursors could quench reactive oxygen species preventing otherwise dose related birth defects when expectant mothers are being exposed to pro-oxidant toxicants..

example of glutathione precursor >> n-acetyl-l-cysteine ("NAC&quot

glycine helps too.

See http://www.ajcn.org for more on precursor loading glutathione

[Act_of_Reparation]

17. No, you don't.

That's obvious.

[Baobab]

18. Are you trying to say that autism isnt a bad thing?

because I don't buy that, it is, its a horrible thing.

And its going to get much much worse if we don't stop polluting the planet like we have been.

And we need to understand how the body processes man made toxicants and help escort them out of the body,

And especially protect pregnant women from toxic, including pro-oxidant- and endocrine disrupting chemical exposures.

[Taitertots]

19. I don't think we should have brain scans for thought crimes as a requirement of office

Are you suggesting that we should prevent anyone with a medical condition from taking office?

[Baobab]

20. NO, quite the opposite

>Are you suggesting that we should prevent anyone with a medical condition from taking office?

NO NO NO.

I am saying we should prevent people with ONE SPECIFIC medical condition from holding office for the reason that people with that specific medical condition are unable to empathize with other human beings in a normal manner.

Such failure to empathize is the one thing most likely to lead to the horrible things which it sounds like you are thinking about.

If you would like to discuss this I would be happy to communicate with you in mail. I have done a lot of reading on totalitarianisms intersection with health care and I can document what i say. I am specifically hoping to prevent the same thing you are.

I believe very strongly in freedom of THOUGHT. thats not what we are talking about here.

Are you familiar with what NPD is? its caused by early childhood anxiety, it seems. At a specific time in life.

If in the past we could have prevented people with NPD from holding office, some very bad things would have been prevented.