Image: businessinsider.com
This December Kim Jong Un, the President for Life of North Korea gave a speech to an audience of women being honoured for their service to their husbands, children and country. As he implored them to have more babies he cried and wiped away tears. In sympathy, or perhaps fearing that not getting with the programme could be dangerous, women in his audience dabbed their tears.
Kim Jong Un is responsible for the deaths of his uncle and his half-brother. Uncle Jang Song Thaek contributed to KJU's smooth succession to the Presidency but demonstrated dangerous autonomy. Another crime was not applauding enthusiastically when his protégé made a speech. Rumours that he was torn apart by ravenous Manchurian hunting dogs are probably untrue according to Anna Fifield in her well-researched biography The Great Successor.
Then, in 2017, KJU’s half-brother Kim Jong Nam was gruesomely murdered with a nerve agent in full sight of security cameras in Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Kim Jong Un’s crying indicates a surprisingly sensitive side of the President for Life. Or is this brilliant acting to manipulate North Koreans?
We can brush this off as the antics of a very unpleasant man. But, I am intrigued not just with the range of KJU’s behaviour, but the implications for the misery of the 26 million North Koreans. And because of his arsenal of atomic weapons and long-range rockets, the reach of that misery to many more.
One of the distinguishing features of bad people is their “disagreeableness.” At one end of this attribute is the Dalai Lama – who personifies gentle acceptance and tolerance of others. At the other is Donald Trump – who attacks those who ask him hard questions about the basis of his many lies.
“Dark personality” researcher Delroy Paulhus originally suggested that there were three components of this evil. “Psychopathy” (callous exploitation), “Machiavellianism” (cold-blooded transactional calculation of relationships) and “narcissism” (doing whatever to whoever to help make me look exceptional). Now he has added a fourth dimension of darkness – the pleasure derived from hurting others or “sadism”.
How does the President for LIfe measure up?
Machiavellians love “tricky plans”. Kim Jong Un’s half-brother Kim Jong Wan was the son of Kim Jong Il – the same Dad as the present Great Despot. As Fifield puts it Kim Jong Wan was “a leader in waiting” (page 203), and so a direct threat as a successor.
The two active ingredients in the nerve agent that killed Kim Jong Wan were wiped on his face by two different women – who claimed they thought they were participating in a reality TV show. The agents who set it all up were meanwhile flying out of the country and following a roundabout route back to Pyongyang. “Tricky” or what?
Narcissists love the glare of publicity, especially the celebration of how special they are. President for Life Kim Jong Un is omnipresent in all North Korean media. The need for fawning adoration of his exceptional leadership did not seem to be a motivator for his half-brother who consistently signalled that he did not want the job.
The distinction between psychopathy and sadism is not impetuousness (both are similar in being somewhat wild and out-of-control). Nor is it being disagreeable – both are nasty. It is the nature of their engagement with their victim and their motivation for the harm they cause.
The psychopath inflicts suffering and the sadist watches. The sadist enjoys gory films and watching fights – all ensuring he is removed from the risk of enacting violence.
The psychopath is indifferent to the hurt he inflicts on others. In contrast, the sadist takes pleasure in observing that pain.
There is, incidentally, a gender difference in the extent of all four dark traits – so my use of “he” above.
Why did Kim Yong Un have Kim Yong Nam murdered under the cameras? A Machiavellian reason is to signal how ruthless he is – watch out if you cross me. A psychopathic reason is the nastiness of the act. Another, sadistic, reason could be the opportunity for KJU to watch (and re-watch) his half-brother’s death. And narcissism? The crime attracted massive attention. And there is no doubt who ordered it. This was an incredible illustration to the world of his exceptionalism.
Leaders, in organisations as well as those holding sway over countries, have the power for good and for evil. Narcissists are strongly motivated to gain leadership positions, from which they can flaunt their exceptionalism. Given the non-trivial relationship of narcissism with the other dark aspects of personality, we need to take care to understand what motivates those who aspire to leadership.
Why did the dark-hearted leader Kim Jong Un cry? Planned or spontaneous, it generated attention, which is wonderful for a narcissist. Even better the story could be spun as an indication that he cares, even when his concern is for his gain and survival.
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