@icedquinn heck, I kind of like the idea of putting sociopaths in political office. At least then we can keep an eye on them :-)
But actually to be a little bit serious, some psychological conditions might actually be a benefit to the public in a politician.
A desperate need for approval might translate to a representative working extra hard for his constituents to get those pats on the head.
@icedquinn oh, but my personal perspective is that we should not be looking to politicians for leadership. We should insist on democratic principles where they serve us, not the other way around.
But that's just my personal philosophy and I know a lot of people do look to politicians for leadership for some reason.
From my perspective I figure pretty much all politicians are going to be jerks. It's pretty much a requirement for getting ahead in that profession :-) so I wouldn't look to jerks for life advice or leadership.
I want a politician to work to represent the interests of their constituents, and I want them to set aside their own interests in the process.
I want politicians to be followers. The weaker willed they are the better so they can follow public interests.
leadership is inherently the business of morale, so people with completely failed empathy or exclusively focused on self-service *really* do not belong there. just like many people agree someone who can't tell reality from fiction *probably* shouldn't be trusted with explosives.