A personality disorder of excessive power strivings

None of the existing formal diagnostic categories in psychiatry today addresses adequately the issues of excessive power-seeking, corruption and destructiveness. Excessive power strivings both poison the personality of the individual who is obsessed in his spirit and mind with power and do unacceptable harm to other peoples' lives. The present proposal of a diagnostic category of a Personality Disorder of Excessive Power Strivings is intended to fit into current diagnostic schema of DSM as well as into an earlier proposal (1) to examine in all psychopathology not only the burdens and damage people do and impose on their own selves and their own functioning, but also the harm they do to other peoples' lives and functioning. The diagnosis is to be used when the individual displays prolonged and severe manifestations of the following listed criteria: The basic feature which is always present in this personality disorder is: 1. Intense and extensive power strivings. In addition, at least three other of the following characteristics should be present; 2. Lack of empathy for people, and indifference to the suffering of others; 3. "Street smart" alertness and remarkable cunning committed to seizing and expanding power; 4. Ruthlessness in cultivation of power; 5. Scapegoating and projection of blame on to targeted individuals or a group, an insistent need to identify certain others as lowly, worthless and intended victims; 6. Corruption by power and addiction to power; 7. Demands of other people to be dependent on one's powerful personality, or that they become one's obedient followers; 8. Emphasis on symbolisms of pure vs. impure, holy vs. infidel, chosen vs. condemned; 9. A basic disrespect for the lives of others evidenced in callous or indifferent exposure of others to undue risks; 10. An absence of conscience in contexts of self-interest and opportunity; 11. A homicide/suicide orientation.