Deeply embedded character flaws

Putin called John Kerry a liar. Neo-Neocon writes,

And no, I certainly don’t believe everything Putin says, either. He has his own agenda, to say the least. But when Kerry claims that the “rebels” in Syria are moderates, it’s a lie on the order of “the Benghazi attack was in response to a video.” In other words, it would be laughable if it weren’t so sad.

I have been reading Neo-Neocon since she began her blog in 2004. Like her, I have a Masters Degree in a mental health-related field (Hers is in marriage and family therapy, mine is in social work). I believe John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all have personality disorders that enable them to lie constantly. Here is what Neo-Neocon wrote about Kerry in 2004.

Why is Kerry still lying about General Shinseki’s “firing?”

It seems puzzling, because it’s not even a “nuanced” lie–that is, there’s no way to spin it. It’s just a simple fact that Shinseki wasn’t fired for saying there should be more troops, and this can be easily proven, so Kerry is just flat-out lying through his teeth. In addition, Kerry no longer has the defense of having made an honest mistake, because it’s gone on way too long. Even his buddies in the mainstream media have called him on it, although not as loudly as they should have.

But tonight, in the second debate, there it was again: the Shinseki “firing.” So the mystery remains: why lie? Most liars lie for strategic reasons, and, when found out in their lies, they make excuses, or come up with another lie. But Kerry’s lies are only partly strategic, designed to win an argument. The rest is driven by his character disorder, narcissism, which often involves the trait of compulsive lying. Essentially, Kerry is a habitual liar who is simply in the habit of lying and perhaps even has difficulty distinguishing between lies and truth.

Character disorders are usually constant throughout life. They are not particularly amenable to treatment or intervention–that’s why they’re called “character disorders,” meaning that the flaws are deeply embedded in the basic character of the person.

As for narcissistic personality disorder, which I believe Kerry suffers from (although I must say that with a character disorder, it’s usually the people around the character-disordered person who are doing most of the suffering)–the following are the relevant traits. You be the judge as to whether they fit Kerry–I think it’s a slam dunk:

The disorder begins by early adulthood [Swift Vets, anyone?] and is indicated by at least five of the following:

1. An exaggerated sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)

2. Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love

3. Believes he is “special” and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)

4. Requires excessive admiration

5. Has a sense of entitlement

6. Selfishly takes advantage of others to achieve his own ends

7. Lacks empathy

8. Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him

9. Shows arrogant, haughty, patronizing, or contemptuous behaviors or attitudes

And this is also spot on:

…a narcissistic individual has a shifting morality–always ready to shift values to gain favor… [Flipper?]

…Their tendency is to form friendships or romantic relationships with only those that can enhance their self-esteem or advance their purposes. [Teresa, mega-heiress?]

…A narcissist presents a false self to the world. Under his inferiority is a preoccupation with fantasies of outstanding achievement, ideal love, and an aimless orientation toward superficial interests…[wind-surfing?]

…The narcissist uses others to aid him in any tasks he undertakes and will frequently take credit for work which others have done. [Bronze Star #2?]

…The narcissistic individual may be more successful at his chosen field of work than some of the other personality disorders. This is because his work can be advantageous to the narcissist especially if it provides narcissistic supply. [well, the guy is a Senator, after all]

…Lying is an integral part of the narcissist’s behavior [Bingo.]