‘A brutal business’: toxicity of politics takes toll on world leaders’ mental health
Four in 10 politicians report low or very low mental wellbeing, and some are being driven out. What can be done to ease the burden?
Why ease the burden? The people who steal 50% of everything done by everyone should suffer mental stress, no?
Of course, we also have that problem of timing. How do we know they weren’t nuts before politics – indeed, how do weknow they didn’t go into politics because they were nuts? Both narcissism and Dunning Kruger are mental ailments, yes?
The problem is that they’re people who love the adulation of making a speech promising to change the world, but they can’t deliver on it. Then they start crying when mailboxes and surgeries are full. And all parties have sold the idea of ever growing government that’s like your Mum.
“What can be done to ease the burden?” – stop scrutinising, criticising, and reporting on them, and stop requiring them to reapply for their job every 4 years will be the answer.
As a thought experiment, let’s put the best possible complexion on this. Let’s start from the assumption that these are able and altruistic individuals who are concerned about the state of the world, and have the vision of improving it for others; and they find that the hitherto unknown pressures of the job are more stressful than they anticipated.
If that were the case, why do so many of them live utterly depraved lives which involve promiscuity, adultery, pointless lies, drugs, ham-fisted pick-up attempts, binge-drinking, porn, harassment, and theft? Why cultivate a taste for inherently risky activities which would make anyone’s life more stressful?
Oh dear, what a pity, how sad, never mind…
“they find that the hitherto unknown pressures of the job are more stressful than they anticipated. … why do so many of them live utterly depraved lives which involve promiscuity, adultery, pointless lies, drugs, ham-fisted pick-up attempts, binge-drinking, porn, harassment, and theft?”
Straightforward release? A type of self-medication? Amongst a very well-defined, tight group.
Four in 10 politicians report low or very low mental wellbeing, and some are being driven out. What can be done to ease the burden?
Kill them.
“Doctor, doctor, it hurts when I do this.”
“Well, stop doing it then.”
“World leaders”. Fuck off. There’s yer bloody problem, right there.
So – being a narcissistic asshole with delusions of competency leads to mental health issues. Who could’ve guessed?
Poor dears.
I remember when they did that same poll on us lawyers.
About twice as many had basic angst/stress.
If only 40% of pols are stressed, we’re not working them hard enough.