Throughout history, certain individuals have stood out not just for their accomplishments but also for their overwhelming narcissism. Their grandiose sense of self, lack of empathy, and intense need for admiration and control have left indelible marks on history. What most people don’t realize is that narcissism occurs on a spectrum, and while a little is healthy, a lot can be damaging, often leading to toxic behaviors and the exploitation of others. Let’s take a look at 18 of the biggest narcissists in history.
Cleopatra
Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt, was known for her vanity and strategic use of her beauty and charm to maintain her power. Her self-obsession and beauty regime reportedly included bathing in sour milk and sleeping in a gold mask to preserve her youth.
Henry VIII
King Henry VIII of England is known for having six wives, a couple of whom he executed, and for establishing the Church of England. King Henry’s narcissistic traits were evident in his relentless pursuit of a male heir and his willingness to discard or execute those who displeased him, including his wives and close advisors.
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein was a dictator who governed Iraq for over 30 years, and his reign was marked by the ruthless suppression of anyone who dared to oppose his authority. In order to maintain his grip on power, Saddam used intimidation, fear, and violence to keep the population subdued. His narcissistic need for control and admiration led to devastating wars and human rights abuses that left the country scarred long after his downfall.
Howard Hughes
Aviation pioneer and film director Howard Hughes was famous for his eccentric behavior and extreme reclusiveness in his later years. He is also known to have displayed several narcissistic traits, including an obsessive focus on perfection and control over his professional projects and his personal life.
Charles Manson
Charles Manson was a notorious criminal and cult leader of a religious commune in San Francisco during the late 1960s. Manson used his charismatic personality to manipulate and coerce his committed followers to orchestrate several murders. He had grandiose beliefs about himself and the world, and he recruited young, vulnerable individuals to worship and obey him, leading to one of the most infamous killing sprees in American history.
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi ruled Libya for more than 40 years until he was overthrown and killed in 2011. Gaddafi saw himself as the embodiment of his nation's destiny, using extensive propaganda to promote and glorify his own image. He was a notoriously ruthless and autocratic leader whose narcissism and lack of empathy were evident in his brutal suppression of dissent and the conditions of poverty that he imposed upon the Libyan people.
Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe's long tenure as President of Zimbabwe was defined by his extravagance and ruthless grip on power. One of the main traits of narcissism is a lack of empathy, and Mugabe demonstrated this time and time again. His financial corruption and abuse led to economic decline, widespread suffering, and poverty in Zimbabwe.
Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini was an Italian fascist dictator, and he often displayed narcissism through his grandiose vision of himself as the embodiment of the Italian nation and his aggressive expansionist policies.
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, had a self-inflated view of himself and implemented radical policies like the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, causing widespread suffering and death.
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany, is one of history's most infamous narcissists. His fanatical vision of a “Third Reich” and his messianic self-perception led to WWII and the Holocaust, resulting in the deaths of millions of people.
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great was the King of Macedon, and he famously demonstrated narcissism through his relentless conquests and obsession with his own image and legacy.
Elizabeth Bathory
Elizabeth Bathory was a Hungarian Countess who is thought to have murdered hundreds of young women in the 17th century. She was known as the “Blood Countess,” and her sadistic crimes were driven by a narcissistic obsession with beauty and youth. Her cruel actions against young girls in her care exemplify a profound lack of empathy and a disturbing self-obsession.
Idi Amin
Idi Amin, the former President of Uganda, exhibited extreme narcissism through an obsession with his self-image, brutal regime, and use of propaganda to promote his invincibility.
Caligula
The Roman Emperor Caligula is famous for his extravagant, erratic, and cruel behavior. He believed that he had divine status and a desire for absolute power. This insatiable need for power and control led him to commit acts of extreme violence and debauchery, which ultimately led to his assassination.
Jim Jones
Jim Jones was an infamous cult leader of a religious group called The Peoples Temple, who used his charm and narcissistic manipulation to control and exploit individuals. In 1978, he led over 900 of his American followers to commit mass suicide by drinking poison. Up until September 11th, this tragic event was the largest number of American citizens to die in a non-natural event, and it shocked the entire world at the time.
Rasputin
Grigori Rasputin was a mystic advisor to the Russian royal family, and he wielded significant influence due to his perceived healing and psychic powers. Rasputin reportedly used his charismatic personality and “magical powers” to manipulate and control the royal family, which ultimately led to his demise.
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin was an infamous dictator who led the Soviet Union between 1927 and 1953. He probably exercised greater political power than any other figure in history, but his definition of “power” involved ruthless tactics to terrorize and subdue civilians. Stalin's reign became known as The Great Terror, and he displayed extreme narcissism through his brutal killings of suspected traitors and the creation of Soviet Totalitarianism, which sought to eliminate all aspects of individual freedom.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte's narcissism was evident in his ambitious military campaigns and the fact that he crowned himself the Emperor of France. Napoleon was obsessed with grandiose visions of power and victory that led to significant historical changes across Europe.
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