Do you think Jeremy Corbyn, after all of this, is actually a 'preening narcissist'?

[hamstersarse]

Mary Creagh, one of the Labour MPs who lost her job at the election, accused him of being narcissistic, and it is so fascinating to me. He has also been accused of this by another MP who worked for him, Kevin Brennan, in 2016:

"For all those people suffering from welfare cuts and Tory policies they will have no one speaking up for them because of the self-indulgence, egotism, arrogance and narcissism of one man - that man is Jeremy Corbyn - he needs to resign."

Having looked at his behaviour, especially since the election loss (and the no-confidence vote referred to above), I think they are onto something and that he has managed to delude so many (mostly young) people into believing his mantras and that he actually gave a shit about them. The fact that others viewed them as a "little brainwashed" and cult like also makes sense if this is the case.

I have always thought he is far from honourable, but his insistence that he is still right despite the massive rejection by the population is unbelievable. He has no humility at all, he pretends he does by using poor people's circumstances to further his own image, but the fact he literally cannot admit he is wrong is such an awful trait, common to narcissists.

I think kind hearted people (empaths) often find it quite difficult to spot narcissism, and can easily get duped. And there is lots of research showing that more agreeable people tend to vote more left. I think Mary is onto something, and he's done a good of being a (probably low level, given) covert narcissist, constantly displaying his belief that he is superior to everyone ("the only one that cares"), that people who don't agree with him are just wrong (Straight to name calling like bigot etc), and refusing to give up power (twice)

Seems to me as you look at him now, his whole campaign with the intent of giving was more about him and less about those to whom he was proclaiming to give to.

I know it is the diagnosis de jour of recent times, but narcissism is a hard trait to diagnose. With that said I think a case you could make. The mass gaslighting he attempted with stunts like walking past empty seats on a train to sit on the floor for a publicity stunt, and when anyone calls him on his deception it’s a “media bias”.

I am glad he’s on the out but the danger is there is always worse out there.

He comes across as ‘what happens to a student political activist when they grow up’. I remember these types when I was a student - loud, sneers, shouty, aggressive and Always Right (pains isn’t he backside). Also naive and foolish.

Most grow up and realise that the world just doesn’t work that way - there isn’t ‘the enemy’ and yelling “eat the rich” is a pathetic way to ‘debate’.

The Young Ones wasn’t a documentary.

I agree. I can’t stand the man and am praying (and will be voting) for a leader who actually understands the importance of winning an election.

100% agree with each post so far.

I don't know about narcissist. I do know the chap's an absolute arse.

My dad was old school labour - this is something else.

He would have hated his division, nastiness, the racism in the party, the gender politics, the envy, his rudeness and lack of empathy...

Yes he reminds me of a "student activist, sulky aggressive and dismissive of the "little people. I don't think he represents anybody except himself.

To be honest, I think he is just a bloke who never thought that he would actually have to do anything and found himself as a figurehead of a movement. It became almost cult like, and like most cults, any criticism of the leader/figurehead is not tolerated so he just carried on preaching to his disciples. Any dissent from the leaders words means that the speaker of those words is an evil interloper trying to infiltrate the true religion. There was even an apocalypse prediction to keep believers in line.

How very... communist!

He's a champagne socialist, a contrived parody with a chip on his shoulder.

If you’re not a fan of Corbyn, Dangerous Hero (Tom Bower) is a very interesting read. I suspect if you’re a Corbynista it would not be good for your blood pressure.

I disagree. I don’t think he’s narcissistic. He’s actually the victim who has been pushed to the edge, and now everyone is saying how unhinged he is and how much he’s in denial and can’t accept he’s wrong. He’s not wrong.

I have looked into the anti-semitism accusations within the party, and haven’t found blatant evidence which points to Jeremy Corbyn advocating it. Yes he’s made some silly decisions about meeting some people he shouldn’t have, but where has he actually been anti semitic? Being against another country’s (Israel’s) politics isn’t anti Semitic. Anti Semitism exists in all the parties, but why has it been smeared so heavily on JC?

The reason for this is media bias. JC would have changed politics. The system doesn’t want someone like JC because he’s everything they aren’t. Boris celebrating his win with his rich Russian friends and flying off to Mustique for is how things are done eh?

Who cares now? Seriously. What’s done is done, we have to move forward now with a leader more in tune to what voters want.

Constantly rehashing what has happened doesn’t change what is going to happen.

I think most people in politics have a little dash of narcissism. I doubt JC is the worst offender.
The impression he gives to me is of someone facing almost constant critisism and attacks who is trying to hold it together in public and avoid displaying emotion. Thats the reason for his slightly supercillious tone (like a flustered school teacher) at times.
Take him out of the high stress sutuation he's currently in and I expect he presents very differently.

I don't know if he's a narcissist. But he is definitely antisemitic @choosername. And allowed antisemitism to flourish in his party, promoting some of the worse offenders. Yes, antisemitism, islamophobia and other nasty bigotry exists in other parties too, but offenders tend to be suspended and expelled, not promoted.

That's one reason why the media went to town on it. "Party expels racist" is not particularly big news, but "party promotes racist" is big news (cf "man bites dog"), and quite right too.

Another reason why the media highlighted it was the hypocrisy: the holier than thou stance coupled with frightening racism.

I shan't revisit the charge list of vile things that Corbyn has both said and done (words AND actions), that's a matter of public record, the reason for the Equality Commission investigation and the reason why the newspapers can freely call him an antisemite without fear of lawsuits.

And since Corbyn has been leader there has been a sharp rise in nasty antisemitic attacks on the jewish community in the UK. Thanks for that, all those who supported the man. I hate to think what would have been unleashed had he come to power.

You may have admired his policies for the country. But at least have the honesty to say that you liked the policies despite the man's racism, to say that you were prepared to ignore his racism, and not try and fudge who he is.

The new labour leader - whoever he/she is - may well prove to be a bit of a narcissist, or hard left, but I do hope they have something resembling a moral compass.

I don’t know if he’s a narcissist, but he’s a self righteous twat - still trying to block Brexit after he’s lost his safest seats over the issue, and insisting he “won the argument”.