The hubris syndrome: addiction to power explained by science

Margaret Thatcher, George W. Bush and Tony Blair are some of the political leaders studied by scientist, member of the House of Lords and former British Chancellor David Owen in 2008 from a neuroscience perspective. They all shared many common traits that led to the same concept: Addiction to power Or the Arrogance syndrome. This is how he coined the term in his book In power and in sickness.

The origin of the name Hubris takes us back to a Greek concept meaning “excessiveness,” which is the opposite of sobriety and moderation. People with this syndrome have: Excessive egoAnd arrogance Narcissism. In fact, Owen's studies have shown that the more power a person has and exerts, the more likely the syndrome is to persist and intensify.

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The original can be found in A Excessive security and self-confidenceWhich ends up veering into arrogance, arrogance and lack of humility. Although this inorganic personality change usually occurs after achieving great power or overwhelming success, people who are humble, open to criticism, or have a well-developed sense of humor are less likely to suffer from arrogance syndrome.

Hubris syndrome is not a disease; it is considered a disease Subtype of narcissistic disorder Character developed by great politicians or other powerful people. They are senior functionaries with a penchant for greatness, with almost messianic aspirations and an abject inability to listen. It is closely related to this obsession with self-image, which in the long run leads to a disconnection from reality.

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he Narcissism, understood as a personality disorder, characterized by a pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy. At the neural level, studies suggest that certain brain structures and processes can be involved in behaviors and experiences associated with narcissism.

Some neuroimaging research has shown specific differences in brain regions in individuals with narcissistic personality disorder. For example, the study “Brain Structure in Narcissistic Personality Disorder: A Pilot Study of VBM and DTI” published in Psychiatric research: neuroimaging In 2013, he aims to Decreased gray matter density in the prefrontal cortexIt is a field related to decision making, planning and organizing social behaviours.

On the other hand, research published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research in 2015 found a The relationship between the anterior cingulate cortex and narcissismHighlighting that this region can be involved in processing self-importance, self-recognition and emotional regulation, which are core aspects of narcissism.

Besides the Insulated shellIt also showed what empathy and emotions were all about Variable activity In people with narcissism. This is related to the inability or difficulty that narcissists have in understanding and empathizing with the emotional states of others.