When Power Loses Its Mind: Narcissism, Antisocial Leadership, and the Fragility of Democracy David Stanton Why do democratic societies sometimes elevate leaders who show contempt for limits, truth, and accountability? In When Power Loses Its Mind, retired psychology professor David Stanton explores how narcissistic grandiosity and antisocial disregard for rules can distort democratic leadership—and why such figures often rise during periods of social fear, humiliation, and exhaustion. Drawing on psychology, political theory, and history, Stanton shows that democratic collapse rarely occurs through sudden coups. Instead, it unfolds gradually as loyalty replaces judgment, spectacle replaces substance, and institutions bend without quite breaking. Yet the book is not simply a warning. Stanton also examines how democracies recognize dangerous patterns, recover from charismatic domination, and rebuild the civic habits that sustain free societies. Clear-eyed and deeply insightful, this work offers a powerful framework for understanding democratic fragility in the modern age.
