Left and Right as psychological manifestations
Pat Sanity describes the underpinnings of some unhealthy motivations from the Left and Right:
For many on the Left side of the political spectrum, it is axiomatic that Narcissism is inextricably linked to business, Capitalism, individualism, and the pursuit of profit. The Left has idealized certain social and political systems because they suppressed the individual and elevated the state, insisting that individuals had no right to exist for their own selves, but only to serve others.
Executives, such as The Rigases of Adelphia Corp; Samuel D. Waksal, the socialite founder of ImClone Systems; Dennis Kozlowski, of Tyco International; Scott D. Sullivan of WorldCom; and Ken Lay of Enron, typify the ugly Narcissist of the business world with his or her extreme grandiosity; selfishness of unbelievable proportions; and complete lack of empathy towards the people they cheated. While the majority of businessmen are ethical and honest individuals, only a few “bad apples” are needed to demonstrate the havoc that malignant Narcissism in the business sector can wreak.
But what is not generally or readily seen (either on the Left or Right) is the flip side of “selfish” or “grandiose” Narcissism– and that is what I will call Narcissism rooted in idealism, rather than selfishness, or “idealistic” Narcissism. This second kind of Narcissism (the flip side of the coin, if you will) is less obvious to an observer, since it is disguised with a veneer of concern for others. But it is equally—if not more—destructive and causative of human suffering, death and misery. Both kinds of Narcissism are a plague on the world; and both are well-traveled avenues for limiting freedom and imposing tyranny. The “grandiose” Narcissism is the stimulus for individual tyrants, while the “idealistic” Narcissism leads to groups imposing their will on others.
It’s not all serious, and a good read. It includes the famous C. S. Lewis quote, some Star Trek trivia, and a link to the Wretchard. We’ll end by quoting Lewis, since his is such a nice take on enslaving people for their own good:
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.