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Why We Elect Narcissists and Sociopaths―and How We Can Stop
Bestselling author, therapist, lawyer, and mediator Bill Eddy describes how dangerous, high-conflict personalities have gained power in governments worldwide--and what citizens can do to keep these people out of office.
Democracy is under siege. The reason isn't politics but too many countries have come under the sway of high-conflict people (HCPs) who have become politicians. Most of these high-conflict politicians have traits of narcissistic personality disorder, antisocial (i.e., sociopathic) personality disorder, or both. This is the first and only guide for identifying and thwarting them.
HCPs don't avoid conflict, they thrive on it, widening social divisions and exacerbating international tensions. Eddy, the world's leading authority on high-conflict personalities, explains why they're so seductive and describes the telltale traits that define HCPs--he even includes a helpful list of forty typical HCP behaviors.
Drawing on historical examples from Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Nixon to Trump, Maduro, and Putin, Eddy shows how HCPs invent enemies and manufacture phony crises so they can portray themselves as the sole heroic figure who can deal with them, despite their inability to actually solve problems. He describes the best ways to expose HCPs as the charlatans they are, reply to their empty and misleading promises, and find genuine leaders to support. Eddy brings his deep psychotherapeutic experience to bear on a previously unidentified phenomena that presents a real threat to the world.
Democracy is under siege. The reason isn't politics but too many countries have come under the sway of high-conflict people (HCPs) who have become politicians. Most of these high-conflict politicians have traits of narcissistic personality disorder, antisocial (i.e., sociopathic) personality disorder, or both. This is the first and only guide for identifying and thwarting them.
HCPs don't avoid conflict, they thrive on it, widening social divisions and exacerbating international tensions. Eddy, the world's leading authority on high-conflict personalities, explains why they're so seductive and describes the telltale traits that define HCPs--he even includes a helpful list of forty typical HCP behaviors.
Drawing on historical examples from Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Nixon to Trump, Maduro, and Putin, Eddy shows how HCPs invent enemies and manufacture phony crises so they can portray themselves as the sole heroic figure who can deal with them, despite their inability to actually solve problems. He describes the best ways to expose HCPs as the charlatans they are, reply to their empty and misleading promises, and find genuine leaders to support. Eddy brings his deep psychotherapeutic experience to bear on a previously unidentified phenomena that presents a real threat to the world.
192 pages, Hardcover
Published May 21, 2019
31 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Bill Eddy
45 books149 followersBill Eddy is a lawyer, therapist, mediator and the President of High Conflict Institute. He developed the "High Conflict Personality" theory (HCP Theory) and has become an international expert on managing disputes involving high conflict personalities and personality disorders. He provides training on this subject to lawyers, judges, mediators, managers, human resource professionals, businesspersons, healthcare administrators, college administrators, homeowners’ association managers, ombudspersons, law enforcement, therapists and others. He has been a speaker and trainer in over 25 states, several provinces in Canada, Australia, France and Sweden.
As an attorney, Bill is a Certified Family Law Specialist in California and the Senior Family Mediator at the National Conflict Resolution Center in San Diego. Prior to becoming an attorney in 1992, he was a Licensed Clinical Social worker with twelve years’ experience providing therapy to children, adults, couples and families in psychiatric hospitals and outpatient clinics. He has taught Negotiation and Mediation at the University of San Diego School of Law for six years and he is on the part-time faculty of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law and the National Judicial College. He is the author of numerous articles and several books, including:
High Conflict People in Legal Disputes
It’s All YOUR Fault! 12 Tips for Managing People Who Blame Others for Everything
SPLITTING: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing Someone with Borderline or Narcissistic Personality Disorder
BIFF: Quick Responses to High Conflict People, Their Personal Attacks, Hostile Email and Social Media Meltdowns
He is also the developer of the “New Ways for Families” method of managing potentially high conflict families in and out of family court. He is currently developing a method for managing potentially high conflict employees titled “New Ways for Work.”
As an attorney, Bill is a Certified Family Law Specialist in California and the Senior Family Mediator at the National Conflict Resolution Center in San Diego. Prior to becoming an attorney in 1992, he was a Licensed Clinical Social worker with twelve years’ experience providing therapy to children, adults, couples and families in psychiatric hospitals and outpatient clinics. He has taught Negotiation and Mediation at the University of San Diego School of Law for six years and he is on the part-time faculty of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law and the National Judicial College. He is the author of numerous articles and several books, including:
High Conflict People in Legal Disputes
It’s All YOUR Fault! 12 Tips for Managing People Who Blame Others for Everything
SPLITTING: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing Someone with Borderline or Narcissistic Personality Disorder
BIFF: Quick Responses to High Conflict People, Their Personal Attacks, Hostile Email and Social Media Meltdowns
He is also the developer of the “New Ways for Families” method of managing potentially high conflict families in and out of family court. He is currently developing a method for managing potentially high conflict employees titled “New Ways for Work.”
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 6, 2024
I have once again decided to embark on a mission to read a number of books on subjects that will be of great importance to the upcoming 2024 US Presidential Election. This was a great success as I prepared for 2020, with an outcome at the polls (and antics by both candidates up to Inauguration Day) that only a fiction writer might have come up with at the time! Many of these will focus on actors and events intricately involved in the US political system over the last few years, in hopes that I can understand them better and, perhaps, educate others with the power to cast a ballot. I am, as always, open to serious recommendations from anyone who has a book I might like to include in the process.
This is Book #3 in my 2024 US Election Preparation Challenge.
In an era of mud slinging and rhetoric tossing, it is difficult to get to the heart of political matters. Add to that, the candidates tend to be larger than life and just as adept at getting ‘dirty in the sandbox’. Some rise to new levels of slinging and attacks, but they also have personalities that are fuelled by conflict and divisiveness. Is there a way to root these people out and, as a voter, see just what they are doing? Bill Eddy tackles this notion in this book, which not only wants to exemplify the High Conflict Person/Politician (HCP), but also show how they can be diluted and perhaps kept from obtaining power to influence or subjugate many others. Eddy uses strong logic and psychological analysis to show the reader just what is going on, past examples of how it took place around the world, and how to stop it. All done in an easy to digest format that is sure to keep the reader following along as they find insights into their own examples and how these people can be kept at bay. While its s not easy, the exploration is paced and shows the reader just what they need to use as tools to help begin solving the HCP issue at all levels of political involvement.
There is no doubt that those with dangerous, high-conflict personalities can create a great deal of damage, especially when they are handed the reins of power. Bill Eddy posits that these types of HCP have made it their pledge to obtain power and stay in those positions, but is is not an overnight phenomena that they are doing so. Eddy examines some of the personality traits these people possess and how they use them to their advantage. Without getting too much into the analysis, the reader is able to learn about narcissism and sociopathic tendencies that are common amongst those who seek power and control over people without any desire to govern or oversee effectively. Eddy explains them in the early part of the book, hoping that these traits can be used as tools to examine how it has happened over time and what people did or did not do to curtail this rise of power.
The outcome of letting HCP rise to power and hold onto it is an erosion of democracy and its ideals. Those HCP want fewer instances of democratic evolution, but would rather handle things on their own and with a strict agenda. They do this by creating a hero complex for themselves after pointing out the issue and the villain that needs conquering. As Eddy argues, these issues are usually false or highly exaggerated, with the villains created to espouse the perspective the HCP wishes to exploit. Then using their ability to persuade that they are the hero in all of this, the HCP swoops in with their solution and hopes that others will see them for the saviour they are. Add to that, the creation of the hero complex helps protect them from outside attack, as they rally their supporters to help protect from outside attack at any point. ‘See? They are attacking your hero. Unite against them!’ Eddy shows how a successful HCP can target their rhetoric and exclude those who do not follow their beliefs, going so far as to keep opposition diluted or away from the ballot boxes, thereby ensuring their hold on power is never challenged.
Eddy examines both American and international examples of HCP, showing how they rose to positions of power and used their hero/villain techniques to work their way into total control. While it can seem subtle at the outset, but looking as a rise to power, the attentive reader will see just how troubling things can be, given time. The sycophantic nature of followers is astounding, yet not all that unrealistic, given the tools for manipulations and dedication to ensure that only the right messages are delivered. Eddy makes clear that this is not an ideological issue (only the right or primarily the left), but a political one where followers are sought like sheep and then led in a certain direction.
While HCPs don't avoid conflict, their passion to thrive on its instability can be stopped. As Eddy explains in the latter part of his book, seeing the lies and the misconceptions for what they are can be stopped with a few simple statements, creating a larger movement to ensure that people are not sucked into the vortex. It will take well-grounded opposition, a media that is not easily duped, and a connection with fact over fallacy. This last point can be the toughest of all in an era of fake news and AI generated information all over social media. However, it can be done with paced and well-presented statements. Eddy offers up the needed tools and an explanation for those who seek to conquer things before waging a new war, whatever that might be as they look on the political horizon.
Does Bill Eddy come out and call either of the 2024 candidates for US president HCP? He surely does, but focussed less on smearing Trump than using him as an example of a successful HCP who has used the tools to blindly lead followers towards a cliff of their own demise. This is less a book about pointing fingers at Trump than using his tactics as a means of explaining a dubious and fear-filled technique that has been able to spin the narrative from truth to Trumpistic views. Will it be effective is still something worth seeing, as many have ‘sipped the Kool-Aid’ in the past.
Bill Eddy paints a vivid picture about how things have become troublesome and the path that got the world there. He uses his well-researched and documented chapters in this book to explore one key aspects of conflict and the personalities that thrive to use it as a fuel for their own political success. Layering the tools together, Eddy shows how things did go wrong in the past and for what reasons. He mentions from the outset that these examples can be used at any political level, not simply world leaders. The world is less about countries pitting their views against one another and more about people/groups within the country turning on one another. There are always villains and heroes, but it is how we see them and use their sentiments that fuels the debate now. Falsehoods and misinformation is all over, though it need not be the solution for everything, given the time and effort to analyse. Bill Eddy presents all this, less as dire, but in a way the reader can wake up. With this book’s knowledge and the tools at my fingertips, I can only hope others will wake up and make the choice that is best for them, not for a small percentage who are drunk on power. Now then, if only Biden could make a choice best for all, we’d have an election worth watching, right?
Kudos, Mr. Eddy, for this insightful piece that has me eager to see how the next few months will go.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
This is Book #3 in my 2024 US Election Preparation Challenge.
In an era of mud slinging and rhetoric tossing, it is difficult to get to the heart of political matters. Add to that, the candidates tend to be larger than life and just as adept at getting ‘dirty in the sandbox’. Some rise to new levels of slinging and attacks, but they also have personalities that are fuelled by conflict and divisiveness. Is there a way to root these people out and, as a voter, see just what they are doing? Bill Eddy tackles this notion in this book, which not only wants to exemplify the High Conflict Person/Politician (HCP), but also show how they can be diluted and perhaps kept from obtaining power to influence or subjugate many others. Eddy uses strong logic and psychological analysis to show the reader just what is going on, past examples of how it took place around the world, and how to stop it. All done in an easy to digest format that is sure to keep the reader following along as they find insights into their own examples and how these people can be kept at bay. While its s not easy, the exploration is paced and shows the reader just what they need to use as tools to help begin solving the HCP issue at all levels of political involvement.
There is no doubt that those with dangerous, high-conflict personalities can create a great deal of damage, especially when they are handed the reins of power. Bill Eddy posits that these types of HCP have made it their pledge to obtain power and stay in those positions, but is is not an overnight phenomena that they are doing so. Eddy examines some of the personality traits these people possess and how they use them to their advantage. Without getting too much into the analysis, the reader is able to learn about narcissism and sociopathic tendencies that are common amongst those who seek power and control over people without any desire to govern or oversee effectively. Eddy explains them in the early part of the book, hoping that these traits can be used as tools to examine how it has happened over time and what people did or did not do to curtail this rise of power.
The outcome of letting HCP rise to power and hold onto it is an erosion of democracy and its ideals. Those HCP want fewer instances of democratic evolution, but would rather handle things on their own and with a strict agenda. They do this by creating a hero complex for themselves after pointing out the issue and the villain that needs conquering. As Eddy argues, these issues are usually false or highly exaggerated, with the villains created to espouse the perspective the HCP wishes to exploit. Then using their ability to persuade that they are the hero in all of this, the HCP swoops in with their solution and hopes that others will see them for the saviour they are. Add to that, the creation of the hero complex helps protect them from outside attack, as they rally their supporters to help protect from outside attack at any point. ‘See? They are attacking your hero. Unite against them!’ Eddy shows how a successful HCP can target their rhetoric and exclude those who do not follow their beliefs, going so far as to keep opposition diluted or away from the ballot boxes, thereby ensuring their hold on power is never challenged.
Eddy examines both American and international examples of HCP, showing how they rose to positions of power and used their hero/villain techniques to work their way into total control. While it can seem subtle at the outset, but looking as a rise to power, the attentive reader will see just how troubling things can be, given time. The sycophantic nature of followers is astounding, yet not all that unrealistic, given the tools for manipulations and dedication to ensure that only the right messages are delivered. Eddy makes clear that this is not an ideological issue (only the right or primarily the left), but a political one where followers are sought like sheep and then led in a certain direction.
While HCPs don't avoid conflict, their passion to thrive on its instability can be stopped. As Eddy explains in the latter part of his book, seeing the lies and the misconceptions for what they are can be stopped with a few simple statements, creating a larger movement to ensure that people are not sucked into the vortex. It will take well-grounded opposition, a media that is not easily duped, and a connection with fact over fallacy. This last point can be the toughest of all in an era of fake news and AI generated information all over social media. However, it can be done with paced and well-presented statements. Eddy offers up the needed tools and an explanation for those who seek to conquer things before waging a new war, whatever that might be as they look on the political horizon.
Does Bill Eddy come out and call either of the 2024 candidates for US president HCP? He surely does, but focussed less on smearing Trump than using him as an example of a successful HCP who has used the tools to blindly lead followers towards a cliff of their own demise. This is less a book about pointing fingers at Trump than using his tactics as a means of explaining a dubious and fear-filled technique that has been able to spin the narrative from truth to Trumpistic views. Will it be effective is still something worth seeing, as many have ‘sipped the Kool-Aid’ in the past.
Bill Eddy paints a vivid picture about how things have become troublesome and the path that got the world there. He uses his well-researched and documented chapters in this book to explore one key aspects of conflict and the personalities that thrive to use it as a fuel for their own political success. Layering the tools together, Eddy shows how things did go wrong in the past and for what reasons. He mentions from the outset that these examples can be used at any political level, not simply world leaders. The world is less about countries pitting their views against one another and more about people/groups within the country turning on one another. There are always villains and heroes, but it is how we see them and use their sentiments that fuels the debate now. Falsehoods and misinformation is all over, though it need not be the solution for everything, given the time and effort to analyse. Bill Eddy presents all this, less as dire, but in a way the reader can wake up. With this book’s knowledge and the tools at my fingertips, I can only hope others will wake up and make the choice that is best for them, not for a small percentage who are drunk on power. Now then, if only Biden could make a choice best for all, we’d have an election worth watching, right?
Kudos, Mr. Eddy, for this insightful piece that has me eager to see how the next few months will go.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
April 7, 2023
This is a curious take on the highly complex matter of politics. Although the analysis is well-structured and the intentions of the author are good, I don't believe we would be able to implement his proposals.
Electing narcissists looks like an organic political dynamic. And very complex, especially when the Media is involved.
Two good tips to avoid the dynamic:
- Treating political adversaries with empathy, attention and respect.
- Get informed.
Electing narcissists looks like an organic political dynamic. And very complex, especially when the Media is involved.
Two good tips to avoid the dynamic:
- Treating political adversaries with empathy, attention and respect.
- Get informed.
May 18, 2025
Adakah buku yang bisa menggambarkan fenomena keterpilihan para pemimpin-pemimpin dunia "strongman" (pemimpin negara yang [terus] berambisi meraih/mempertahankan kekuasaan) di abad ini? Buku terjemahan ini, walaupun judulnya, baik asli maupun setelah diterjemahkan terkesan "nyeleneh" dan memicu stigma, menurut saya bisa dibaca untuk memahami fenomena tersebut.
Buku ini merupakan pengembangan ide penulis, seorang terapis, advokat, dan mediator bernama Bill Eddy, terkait kepribadian tinggi-konflik ("high-conflict personality"/HCP) yang ia temukan sebelumnya ketika menangani kasus hukum sebagai advokat. Seiring semakin sering terpilihnya profil-profil "strongman" sebagai pemimpin negara di seluruh dunia selama dua dekade terakhir, ia merasa pendekatannya itu mampu juga menjelaskannya. Ternyata, tidak sedikit dari pemimpin-pemimpin negara yang menunjukkan pola orang dengan kepribadian tinggi-konflik (HCP). Ciri-cirinya antara lain selalu memandang sesuatu secara hitam putih, berbicara dan bertindak secara ekstrem, dan emosi tidak stabil.
Dari pengamatan penulis, terdapat sebuah pola yang menggambarkan upaya figur-figur HCP meraih atau bahkan mempertahankan kekuasaannya. Pembahasan yang utama dari masing-masing figur HCP tersebut adalah bagaimana masing-masing dari mereka menciptakan 'krisis rekaan' (yang bisa sepenuhnya benar, sebagian benar, sebagian disinformasi atau bahkan sepenuhnya disinformasi) dan 'penjahat rekaan' ("musuh" bersama) untuk memanipulasi emosi para konstituennya agar percaya bahwa hanya mereka sosok 'pahlawan rekaan' yang mampu menyelesaikannya. Untuk mencapainya, mereka menciptakan suatu kondisi yang memicu terbelahnya konstituen menjadi empat golongan: loyalis, moderat, penentang, dan bodo amat. Perkembangan teknologi visual dan suara terutama media sosial dan kehadiran pendengung ('media tinggi-emosi') di abad ke-21 ini semakin memudahkan mereka melaksanakan strategi 'tiga-serangkai rekaan' tersebut.
Pembahasan tentang bagaimana figur-figur pemimpin dunia HCP abad ke-20 dan abad ke-21 merancang 'tiga-serangkai rekaan', menggunakan 'media tinggi-emosi', dan memecah masyarakat menjadi empat golongan, ditampilkan sebagai contoh studi kasus.
Buku ini merupakan pengembangan ide penulis, seorang terapis, advokat, dan mediator bernama Bill Eddy, terkait kepribadian tinggi-konflik ("high-conflict personality"/HCP) yang ia temukan sebelumnya ketika menangani kasus hukum sebagai advokat. Seiring semakin sering terpilihnya profil-profil "strongman" sebagai pemimpin negara di seluruh dunia selama dua dekade terakhir, ia merasa pendekatannya itu mampu juga menjelaskannya. Ternyata, tidak sedikit dari pemimpin-pemimpin negara yang menunjukkan pola orang dengan kepribadian tinggi-konflik (HCP). Ciri-cirinya antara lain selalu memandang sesuatu secara hitam putih, berbicara dan bertindak secara ekstrem, dan emosi tidak stabil.
Dari pengamatan penulis, terdapat sebuah pola yang menggambarkan upaya figur-figur HCP meraih atau bahkan mempertahankan kekuasaannya. Pembahasan yang utama dari masing-masing figur HCP tersebut adalah bagaimana masing-masing dari mereka menciptakan 'krisis rekaan' (yang bisa sepenuhnya benar, sebagian benar, sebagian disinformasi atau bahkan sepenuhnya disinformasi) dan 'penjahat rekaan' ("musuh" bersama) untuk memanipulasi emosi para konstituennya agar percaya bahwa hanya mereka sosok 'pahlawan rekaan' yang mampu menyelesaikannya. Untuk mencapainya, mereka menciptakan suatu kondisi yang memicu terbelahnya konstituen menjadi empat golongan: loyalis, moderat, penentang, dan bodo amat. Perkembangan teknologi visual dan suara terutama media sosial dan kehadiran pendengung ('media tinggi-emosi') di abad ke-21 ini semakin memudahkan mereka melaksanakan strategi 'tiga-serangkai rekaan' tersebut.
Pembahasan tentang bagaimana figur-figur pemimpin dunia HCP abad ke-20 dan abad ke-21 merancang 'tiga-serangkai rekaan', menggunakan 'media tinggi-emosi', dan memecah masyarakat menjadi empat golongan, ditampilkan sebagai contoh studi kasus.
February 9, 2021
Practical advice on dealing with high conflict charismatic politicians. Eddy analyzes historic examples of these kinds of dangerous politicians, with comparable sets of qualifying subheadings. He emphasizes strategy of “emotions versus information”, as to help ground dangerous narcissists and sociopaths in political and environment.
March 14, 2020
I toyed with giving this a three stars but I think the advice is so worthwhile I've decided to give it four stars. Essentially, Eddy discusses how to deal with "High Conflict Personalities" (Narcissists and Sociopaths) and how current media favours these types of personalities. Emphasis is on electoral politics and the rise of HCP's throughout the world.
I do have concerns with his historical analysis - he seems to suggest that the rise of HCP's comes down to the force of will of that single individual (or lucky circumstances), seeming to advocate "The Great Man Theory" of the rise of HCP's like Hitler, Stalin, Mao etc.
His advice on how not to play into the hands of an HCP is excellent - specifically using Donald Trump as a model. I hope the Democrats read this book!! But politics aside, he also talks a bit about how to deal with the HCP boss or co-worker. The advice is pretty practical and common-sense, and can be adapted by anyone. His advice on how to divest these people from our electoral system is also sound, in my opinion, calling for people to place a lot more emphasis on facts and less on emotional appeals based on nothing.
I do have concerns with his historical analysis - he seems to suggest that the rise of HCP's comes down to the force of will of that single individual (or lucky circumstances), seeming to advocate "The Great Man Theory" of the rise of HCP's like Hitler, Stalin, Mao etc.
His advice on how not to play into the hands of an HCP is excellent - specifically using Donald Trump as a model. I hope the Democrats read this book!! But politics aside, he also talks a bit about how to deal with the HCP boss or co-worker. The advice is pretty practical and common-sense, and can be adapted by anyone. His advice on how to divest these people from our electoral system is also sound, in my opinion, calling for people to place a lot more emphasis on facts and less on emotional appeals based on nothing.
December 1, 2020
Repetitive. Maybe better as a magazine article. The part I found helpful was the section on the dynamics involving polarization into four groups, and how best to communicate with each of the four groups.
June 24, 2019
What we have here is not an intellectual tour-de-force, a beautifully designed or written book, or a neutral look at political science. Instead, it is a two-fer: an examination of high conflict personalities (people who need to argue, always) and an anti-Donald Trump screed.
Now our President is most certainly a high conflict person and probably one deserving of a clinical diagnosis of 'personality disorder'. That is a real thing, a recognized medical condition, and one of the most frustrating ones for mental health professionals. Personality disorders have no cure, no treatment, no medication, no effective talk therapy. Generally, the only thing that puts a stop to such people is death. And narcissists, as well as the other nine recognized types, are everywhere, in all areas of society, business, politics, entertainment, etc. Mr. Eddy's scheme will help those willing to make an effort to learn. Whether at work, in the family, at the club or in a casual encounter at the restaurant, the techniques to recognize and reckon with HCP (high conflict people) could mean the difference between a beautiful day or a dreaded memory.
The style of the book and the technique---gathering tried and true methods and inventing tools---reminds me of "How To Win Friends and Influence People", one of the landmark books in human relations. Again, neither book stands as a great intellectual achievement, but both can help us navigate a world full of jerks.
As for our less than esteemed President, Mr. Eddy clearly classifies him as an HCP and psychologically disturbed---except he won't actually make a declaration to that effect. Fine. We can see for ourselves every day. Eddy's formula for not repeating the mistake of electing such a combative freak could work, and if we are still here, we can put Eddy's tools to work. One bit of advice is 'do not argue with Trump's followers'. Again, Carnegie: "A person convinced against their will remains unconvinced still". Those who are emotionally bonded with Donny see his lies, his crassness, his bigotry. At best they ignore his faults, as worst are enabled by it. Leave them alone. Try to get the sideline sitters into the game and use the primaries to field one robust and effective candidate early.
The intellectual elite probably won't admit reading this book, but they could learn from it.
Recommended.
Now our President is most certainly a high conflict person and probably one deserving of a clinical diagnosis of 'personality disorder'. That is a real thing, a recognized medical condition, and one of the most frustrating ones for mental health professionals. Personality disorders have no cure, no treatment, no medication, no effective talk therapy. Generally, the only thing that puts a stop to such people is death. And narcissists, as well as the other nine recognized types, are everywhere, in all areas of society, business, politics, entertainment, etc. Mr. Eddy's scheme will help those willing to make an effort to learn. Whether at work, in the family, at the club or in a casual encounter at the restaurant, the techniques to recognize and reckon with HCP (high conflict people) could mean the difference between a beautiful day or a dreaded memory.
The style of the book and the technique---gathering tried and true methods and inventing tools---reminds me of "How To Win Friends and Influence People", one of the landmark books in human relations. Again, neither book stands as a great intellectual achievement, but both can help us navigate a world full of jerks.
As for our less than esteemed President, Mr. Eddy clearly classifies him as an HCP and psychologically disturbed---except he won't actually make a declaration to that effect. Fine. We can see for ourselves every day. Eddy's formula for not repeating the mistake of electing such a combative freak could work, and if we are still here, we can put Eddy's tools to work. One bit of advice is 'do not argue with Trump's followers'. Again, Carnegie: "A person convinced against their will remains unconvinced still". Those who are emotionally bonded with Donny see his lies, his crassness, his bigotry. At best they ignore his faults, as worst are enabled by it. Leave them alone. Try to get the sideline sitters into the game and use the primaries to field one robust and effective candidate early.
The intellectual elite probably won't admit reading this book, but they could learn from it.
Recommended.
June 28, 2020
the "political science analysis" bits are good, BUT the book mostly consists in a disguised "liberal" pamphlet against ill-defined right-wing scarecrows while posing as an objective observer. Trump-bashing takes up pages, but he liquidates Hugo Chavez with a few words, mostly complimentary. He considers the immigration question as a "fantasy crisis" and even says that, truth be told, immigrants are in fact leaving (??!).
If you need a dose of left-wing morphine to pacify you, join a fake facebook activist group that Ukraine spam gang for hire set up to support Joe 2020.
The University Of Oxford announces:
"A new study of psychopathic traits by Oxford University psychologist discovers that Donald Trump ranks above Adolf Hitler and only just below Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein and Henry VIII. Hillary Clinton ranks between Napoleon and Nero"
That's a shame because I read it as I found DATING RADAR by the same author an excellent book.
If you need a dose of left-wing morphine to pacify you, join a fake facebook activist group that Ukraine spam gang for hire set up to support Joe 2020.
The University Of Oxford announces:
"A new study of psychopathic traits by Oxford University psychologist discovers that Donald Trump ranks above Adolf Hitler and only just below Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein and Henry VIII. Hillary Clinton ranks between Napoleon and Nero"
That's a shame because I read it as I found DATING RADAR by the same author an excellent book.
June 10, 2025
Not authentic at all !
You can tell when a writer is biased and the author of this book. Bill Eddy is definitely BIASED.
He has listed High-Conflict Personalities (HCP), people with HCPs, especially if they are politicians can lead us into wars, woes and disasters, as they are narcissistic and too full of themselves with a desire to control and have things their way, irrelevant of the cost to human life, dignity or democracy. Those he has taken the trouble to list and explain the hows and the whys are :
Hitler;
Stalin;
Putin;
Mao;
Duterte;
Trump;
Maduro;
Orban
BUT, somehow the instigator of the last few decades of wars and the architect of thr present ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, the odious NETANYAHU is prominently missing.
I regret wasting my time reading this book. It just made me angry at the hypocrisy and the cowardice of the writer. Unfortunately, our world of today have many like him.
You can tell when a writer is biased and the author of this book. Bill Eddy is definitely BIASED.
He has listed High-Conflict Personalities (HCP), people with HCPs, especially if they are politicians can lead us into wars, woes and disasters, as they are narcissistic and too full of themselves with a desire to control and have things their way, irrelevant of the cost to human life, dignity or democracy. Those he has taken the trouble to list and explain the hows and the whys are :
Hitler;
Stalin;
Putin;
Mao;
Duterte;
Trump;
Maduro;
Orban
BUT, somehow the instigator of the last few decades of wars and the architect of thr present ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, the odious NETANYAHU is prominently missing.
I regret wasting my time reading this book. It just made me angry at the hypocrisy and the cowardice of the writer. Unfortunately, our world of today have many like him.
January 18, 2024
A Hidden Agenda
The profile of an HCP is interesting and helpful.
The examples of HCP people is supportive when there is enough history to complete the profile.
Unfortunately, Mr Eddy, and most news outlets at the time, were convinced of “Russian Collusion” which as of 2024 has been totally debunked and shown to be a complete fabrication by the Clinton campaign.
This book would have been a 5-star book if the hidden agenda had not been to smear one Republican politician in general with unsubstantiated claims and other examples that preceded their political candidacy.
It is also very curious that all 3 modern-day examples were Republicans when in fact most presidents have been HCP individuals and half of those were democrats. Thus, the second hidden agenda seems to be to paint only Republicans as HCP individuals.
The profile of an HCP is interesting and helpful.
The examples of HCP people is supportive when there is enough history to complete the profile.
Unfortunately, Mr Eddy, and most news outlets at the time, were convinced of “Russian Collusion” which as of 2024 has been totally debunked and shown to be a complete fabrication by the Clinton campaign.
This book would have been a 5-star book if the hidden agenda had not been to smear one Republican politician in general with unsubstantiated claims and other examples that preceded their political candidacy.
It is also very curious that all 3 modern-day examples were Republicans when in fact most presidents have been HCP individuals and half of those were democrats. Thus, the second hidden agenda seems to be to paint only Republicans as HCP individuals.
September 17, 2020
Even though this book doesn’t claim to be a book about psychopathology nor does it want to be presented as one, it is a great read about dealing with Narcissistic Sociopaths or High Conflict People. The examples of leaders throughout history who have been High Conflict People or have Narcissistic and/or Sociopathic disorders are spot on.
August 5, 2019
REQUIRED READING.
This was a perfectly concise but thorough book that will both enlighten people and empower them to execute what they learned in any social, work or political situation.
This was a perfectly concise but thorough book that will both enlighten people and empower them to execute what they learned in any social, work or political situation.
August 12, 2019
Very interesting info. Hope this will work to keep America safe from the megalomaniac presently occupying the White House
October 25, 2020
A narcissist himself, Eddy is going to tell you why you are stupid and how smart he is. Ironic. Not funny.
April 10, 2022
Labeled what most people already know with larger psychological ideas, essentially American politics in a nutshell.
December 24, 2024
I wish I could shove this book in the face of every American who voted this year.
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