At a typical stage in this psychological metamorphosis, the leader identifies himself with the group—party or nation or whatever the group may be. “The bureaucrat identifies himself completely with the organization, confounding his own interests with its interests. All objective criticism of the party [or nation, if he is the leader of a nation] is taken by him as a personal affront. This is the cause of the obvious incapacity of all party leaders to take a serene and just view of hostile criticism.… If, on the other hand, the leader is attacked personally, his first care is to make it appear
...more
