I have been reading a non-fiction book about a period of time. It has a paragraph describing the personality of one country’s leader. This is written straight out of the book except the name is change to “he”. The evaluation comes from people very close to him.

“He was deeply suspicious of any hint of opposition or challenge to his authority, this showing itself in pathological persecution mania, to the extent that he saw conspiracy and enemies everywhere. He was particularly skillful in assessing others and exploiting their weaknesses, pretence, and deceit. What he said, he did not necessarily mean, and what he meant he did not necessarily say, which made for difficulties with his immediate circle where everyone hung on his words, avoiding any expression of opinion before he had spoken, and then hastening to agree with him. He had a brutal willpower and a livery, cunning, devious and dexterous mind. He’s obstinate and malicious, taunting and cynical mind, capricious and mercurial. His mind was apparently cramped by narrow dogmatism when he dealt with political, social, and economic questions. He could be very genial when it suited him. His immediate circle lived in great fear of him.”

This may describe our current President but it is actually the description of Joseph Stalin in the “Russo-German War 1941-1945.” The author left off his narcissism and having to be the center of attention and desiring control of all foreign and domestic media. Later the author said he used a minority to influence the majority.

Does this sound like someone you know?