In Sickness and in Power

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The course of modern world history has been significantly influenced by the physical and mental illnesses of heads of state, often concealed from the public. Notable politicians, including Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and others, have misrepresented their health. Between 1906 and 2008, several U.S. Presidents were found to have mental illnesses while in office, including Theodore Roosevelt (bipolar disorder) and Wilson (major depressive disorder). Many despots, like Hitler and Stalin, have been labeled as mentally ill, although some, according to Lord Owen, were not "mad" in a medically recognized sense. He suggests that the pressures of leadership can destabilize mental health, a phenomenon Bertrand Russell termed "the intoxication of power." This hubris, characterized by excessive self-confidence, can lead to reckless behavior and poor judgment, which Owen identifies as Hubris Syndrome. Recent leaders, including George W. Bush and Tony Blair, have exhibited symptoms such as delusions of infallibility. Owen argues for the necessity of new procedures to address illness in heads of government and calls for the United Nations to be empowered to remove despots whose hubris poses a significant threat to their nations or the global community.