Most politicians are narcissists or psychopaths | Saagar Enjeti and Lex Fridman

Lex Fridman Podcast full episode: • Saagar Enjeti: Trump, ...
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GUEST BIO:
Saagar Enjeti is a political journalist & commentator, co-host of Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar and The Realignment Podcast. He is exceptionally well-read, and the books he recommends are always fascinating and eye-opening. You can check out all the books he mentions in this episode here: lexfridman.com...
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Breaking Points: / @breakingpoints
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[@LexClips]

Lex Fridman Podcast full episode: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6ndaZxvZa2jaKM Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: lexfridman.com/sponsors/cv8290-sa See below for guest bio, links, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. *GUEST BIO:* Saagar Enjeti is a political journalist & commentator, co-host of Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar and The Realignment Podcast. He is exceptionally well-read, and the books he recommends are always fascinating and eye-opening. You can check out all the books he mentions in this episode here: lexfridman.com/saagar-books *CONTACT LEX:* *Feedback* - give feedback to Lex: lexfridman.com/survey *AMA* - submit questions, videos or call-in: lexfridman.com/ama *Hiring* - join our team: lexfridman.com/hiring *Other* - other ways to get in touch: lexfridman.com/contact *EPISODE LINKS:* Saagar's Book Recommendations: lexfridman.com/saagar-books Saagar's Substack (where he recommends more books): saagarenjeti.substack.com/ Saagar's X: x.com/esaagar Saagar's Instagram: instagram.com/esaagar Breaking Points: youtube.com/@breakingpoints The Realignment Podcast: www.youtube.com/@therealignment Saagar's Linktree: linktr.ee/esaagar *SPONSORS:* To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: *Eight Sleep:* Temp-controlled smart mattress cover. Go to lexfridman.com/s/eight_sleep-cv8290-sa *AG1:* All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to lexfridman.com/s/ag1-cv8290-sa *LMNT:* Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to lexfridman.com/s/lmnt-cv8290-sa *BetterHelp:* Online therapy and counseling. Go to lexfridman.com/s/betterhelp-cv8290-sa *Shopify:* Sell stuff online. Go to lexfridman.com/s/shopify-cv8290-sa *NetSuite:* Business management software. Go to lexfridman.com/s/netsuite-cv8290-sa *PODCAST LINKS:* - Podcast Website: lexfridman.com/podcast - Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2lwqZIr - Spotify: spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 - RSS: lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ - Podcast Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 - Clips Channel: kzbin.info *SOCIAL LINKS:* - X: x.com/lexfridman - Instagram: instagram.com/lexfridman - TikTok: tiktok.com/@lexfridman - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: facebook.com/lexfridman - Patreon: patreon.com/lexfridman - Telegram: t.me/lexfridman - Reddit: reddit.com/r/lexfridman

[@isaac.anthony]

Narcissists AND psychopaths.

[@Vampyr_000]

@@isaac.anthony me (:

[@BabushkaCookie2888]

same thang applies to u and me and all normies and people.

[@isaac.anthony]

I have no desire to rule over anyone, I just want to be left alone. You two are probably narcissists and psychopaths.

[@ericcomp7032]

Both sides 😪

[@christianjensen952]

​@@BabushkaCookie2888 normies are by definition not narcissists, otherwise we'd have no explicit category for narcissists. Using your brain is perfectly acceptable buddy...

[@MatchaCocoaDog]

Same is true of many business executives.

[@diegomagellan]

Mmhmm. The psychopathy and narcissism required for success is more pronounced in these types.

[@MirthLogic]

it probably has and always will be this way, hence why Power NEEDS to be Critiqued / Checked. They don't see what they do as Wrong / Hurting Millions of People across the World They see Profit margin and Status. Not saying they are evil, they are necessary for Capital... But, America is a Hybrid System, and She was at her Best when Social Institutions had emphasis on Helping Citizens and Checking Power, The Good and Empathetic person can easily Check Out/ self-destruct , lose hope in the Future during these times

[@diegomagellan]

@@MirthLogic yea guardrails need to be built and strengthened so that these types don’t drive us all over a cliff.

[@Spicystachegamer]

So you think it's impossible for a benevolent leader to exist?​@@MirthLogic

[@austinschwebel819]

What if a business man turns into politics?🤔🤣

[@kokoBuSiLiCa]

Also most artists, most celebrities, most people that you watch on a daily. Most of the popular love songs, the dissociation with reality in them - are written by narcissists.

[@jonathan2847]

The most creative smartest kids you ever knew didn't become artists, they became scientists.

[@MicLeo-ck1vf]

@@jonathan2847nah, some do. Many also go into the arts. Having spent over a decade now surrounded by scientists, many also share the worst traits found in politicians.

[@jelkel25]

Narcissist/Histrionics are definitely oversubscribed amongst celebrities but artists, you really have to be more specific. There are many people with ADHD among pre woke comedians mixed with a lot of childhood trauma. Post woke, yup, Narcissists. You have to be careful with love songs, the more commercial side of it, they can be written by people who churn them out like blocks of processed cheese. They will be done by AI soon. Some artists are there because this is all they do but some, it's just about them and they will do anything that gets them the attention. A big difference.

[@kokoBuSiLiCa]

@@jelkel25 All artists. I am a poet myself, a rapper, I do it for myself in my room for 20 years and I love hip-hop. I do understand that there are a lot of good, creative people that are artists, and also people battling difficulties such as ADHD. However, that does not change the fact that every 2nd rapper is narcissistic and/or narcissist. If you understand psychology you can just see it there, it's in plain sight. I'm not generalizing and saying ALL artists are narcissistic, HOWEVER, narcissism is a LOT more common amongst artists than the rest of the world. There are lot of good, really emphatic people that are artists as well, so indeed there's a big difference.

[@jelkel25]

@kokoBuSiLiCa The only "rappers" I've known are greasy roadmen who are overgrown children, too stupid and lazy to do much of anything in either the rapping or the criminality and think the peak of accomplishment is to spend years breathing in other dudes farts in the jail. Maybe you need a little Narcissism to do something to a high standard that has no guaranteed payoff and not be a roadman?

[@spsawyer22]

It's the good man/great man theory. Good people in general have no interest in politics.

[@ICDeadPeeps]

Which leaves only bad people in politics with power over the rest of us. Hence, why we need to move toward a decentralized, a smaller, limited governance structure to keep these narcissists and psychopaths in check.

[@PhoenixAscending]

Just like most people without big ego's want nothing to do with being a cop

[@spsawyer22]

@@PhoenixAscending especially recently. A lot of really important jobs have (currently) some horrific drawbacks. Why not do something less awful if you can?

[@conscientiousobjector5988]

Define "good."

[@spsawyer22]

@conscientiousobjector5988 the idea behind the theory is that "great" people have to make choices and decisions that cost lives and hurt people, thus they aren't "good". Good is a stand in for essentially being a morally righteous and kind person.

[@notagiantseaslug5523]

Had a child with a narcissist. I see it in politicians, and it makes my blood run cold.

[@mdav30]

There is a pretty huge distance between a narcissist and a psychopath. Maybe it's the Peterson effect - because he calls just about everybody he doesn't like a psychopath - but people just fling around the psychopath term willy nilly these days, while the fact is it is a particularly rare and unusual trait. Beyond that, narcissism is on a spectrum from mild to severe. The differences between presidents matter on a personal level and the level of character. This blanket statement doesn't teach much of anything.

[@ham9187]

LBJ may have been a “great politician “ but his policies were horrible.

[@PhoenixAscending]

He was a despicable human being as well. I dislike Johnson almost as much as any politician in U.S. history. Almost

[@StudyWithMusic-mo5nl]

Right?! was thinking the same. By great if he means he was absolutely ruthless and wouldnt let anything or anyone get in his way, they yeah, he was "great"...

[@SiLoMixMaster]

Most comments on youtube are written by narcissists as well….

[@timmehtimmeh576]

Not me. I transcend all of that.

[@conscientiousobjector5988]

For me it's a survival instinct--it's situational awareness. I am seriously trying to figure out why most people seem so dissociative more than anything else. It explains a lot about why it's been so easy to be lead on an unreasonable courses. Most recently, I have found myself trying to inform someone that mass is a value and that is regulated by the Universe which is one of the reasons why...matter repeats the same behavior fairly consistently. He doesn't seem to understand. A lot of people think processes are something humans made up. He doesn't believe reality has objective consequences. These people are mentally fragmented and they vote.

[@sparksdrinker5650]

@@conscientiousobjector5988 lol yeah no narcissism to be found in that blathering

[@conscientiousobjector5988]

@@sparksdrinker5650 Tell me which part doesn't make sense.

[@veesssss]

Well, no shit

[@josh021588]

😂 👏🏽

[@katieandnick4113]

A key characteristic of a psychopath is a lack of empathy, and psychopathy is supposedly very rare, yet it seems to me that the vast majority of people lack true, unconditional empathy. If your empathy for someone can go away when they do or even say things you don’t approve of, that’s not true empathy. And in fact, because I believe that all antisocial behavior is rooted in deep emotional trauma, it makes sense to me that I should have the most empathy for people who behave in antisocial ways, as this indicates how much they are suffering and that they have been hurt deeply.

[@nicolenalewajski2015]

I would give some advice to lex which is don't be one of those irritating journalists that you can read what side you're on. If you want to be truly successful, you have to be bipartisan. I understand he's still green and learning and I appreciate the deep conversation. But those remarks that always try to be condescending And you don't see them happening so much from the other side. It's just all agreement show he doesn't take a middle position which is what a true journalist should do.

[@onorth5615]

FTR, Lex is an engineer/scientist, not a journalist. There’s nothing barring him from displaying his bias.

[@nicolenalewajski2015]

Thanks for the confirmation

[@iwishyouwould6937]

How many subs do you have? Pitch some more ideas of how he can make it.

[@voetstoets]

Narcissists and psychopaths can be very effective in a role, especially if they are able to supply their narcissistic needs by looking good while doing good. There is inevitably a wake of destruction and resentment by people in their personal lives.

[@vivalaleta]

Or just your common sociopath. I've been saying this for decades.

[@DanielIbanez]

JFK's judgment according to his RFK jr has a lot to do with his character and his virtue. I may be wrong but I will have to go back and look at the interviews. Great interview btw, thanks for hosting Saagar

[@letsbefair_]

No, narcissists and machiavellianians. Not psychopaths, who have no impulse control or regard for consequences.

[@Varrock45]

It makes total sense. If you believe to your core that you alone can make a government full of corruption, deceit, and differing agendas work. Then you are either a psychopath who will crush anyone who stands in your way. Or you are a narcissist who thinks they truly are that important and special.

[@christopherross8358]

Someone needs to brush up on the DSM - most are machiavellian

[@TheVigilantEye77]

The Essence book is OOP. 700 used !

[@dessarose]

TRUTH: power and control is what they all seek

[@forgetaboutit121]

obviously that goes without sying

[@shadowtank48]

And water is wet

[@Strawman333]

I don’t think W or any other president actually made any significant decisions on their own.

[@serenounificado]

Here in México President Claudia protects drug cartels

[@vonmusel6158]

Well they dont call it "selling out" for success for nothing

[@uprebel5150]

“W” as in Woodrow Wilson.

[@Mafaldacasascordero]

The stupid talking is narcissistic. Very light statement

[@bethany7363]

Was it good judgment for Kennedy when he was a senator to approve "Airlift to America", which paid for 2 flights coming from Kenya to go to THE ivy league colleges, because the state department said they weren't gonna do it, but the Kennedy foundation paid for it and the second flight had Barack Obama's dad on it. Just wondering if that's what you consider good judgment?

[@flamos44]

Like Donald trump and Nancy pelosi

[@nikitakucherov5028]

These two play a little verbal chess in the last 20 seconds of this video

[@BoostedPastime]

Could have fooled me 😂

[@fxttr5961]

0:00 tuah

[@SmirkInvestigator]

This guy man. Just a dude loving his studies and babbling about it. Not a care in the world

[@edwardfinn4141]

Nor a clue

[@zillsburyy1]

this show is getting stale

[@hcbyethelake1892]

🎯.

[@жизненный_опыт]

politics politics politics click click click no soul nothing

[@user-rl3iv2jk9q]

I agree with you .

[@DmYness]

Click bait 😂 unfollowing now

[@daveminion6209]

Sagar 2028 Campaign moto: because he is not a narcissist , lol

[@mikaelkrukoff8872]

School teachers typically are as well

[@Vampyr_000]

I want to be a politician

[@cromBumny]

Adam Shiffff ?

[@RantChamps]

And podacsters*

[@O4C209]

In fairness, most humans are.

[@carefulcarpenter]

On a spectrum. People see in others what they are most often unwilling to see in themselves; yet how did they learn to see?

[@davidgarza1301]

Check out the book Nuclear Folly by Serhii Plokey for a more balanced take on the Missile Crisis, he had access to Russian language documents with language skills to bring new scholarship to bear.

[@MarkR1111]

I’m sure Biden wasn’t doing all those “president” things you speak of

[@holdenmuganda97]

Saagar referring to anyone as narcissistic or psychopathic is beyond ironic. He literally shows no empathy for anyone or anything.

[@Darrick-f9d]

Okay rainman...Lez, you are soooo annoying dude.

[@Taetae_1717]

😂

[@Techtalk2030]

First

[@archeryhistorian3811]

Iraq was a success depending on who you ask.

[@markw999]

Would that be the contractors that raked in billions? LOL. Yes, the war successfully bilked the U.S. taxpayer out of lots of $$$