By now, you’ve probably seen The Guardian newspaper’s quiz, which asked takers to determine whether Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen or Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was responsible for a series of choice quotes like, “I have defeated this earthworm with my words — imagine what I would have done with my fire-breathing fists.” That, incidentally, was Charlie Sheen. The situation unfolding in Libya is certainly no joke; nor is Charlie Sheen’s public meltdown. The point is that both Gadhafi and Sheen seem, at least to many armchair psychologists, to have one thing in common: mental illness. Dr. Jerrold Post is a professor of psychiatry, political psychology and international affairs at the George Washington University. He was the founding director of the CIA’s political profiling center. And while he’s not an expert in the psyches of actors, he knows quite a bit about profiling world leaders like Gadhafi.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.