Was Hitler an insane madman?

[Skybird]

No doubt he formed out a psychopathic personality.

When that process started in his life, can be discussed. That the diagnostic concept is not just a myth, but makes sense to stick with, to me is not open for discussion (as it is for quite some psychologists today).

Diagnostic categories in psychology follow vogues, and last but not least: political correctness, sometimes for good, sometimes for worse. They can change over time not necessarily always due to new scientific insight, but due to changing times: and then just reflecting changing social values, independent of how "valuable" these values may be or may be not. If you are the only seeing man living in the land of the blind, then you are the exception from what is defined as "normal".

[Rockstar]

Can’t deny he may have been a psychopath.

But even a psychopath knows the difference between right and wrong, legal and illegal. It’s my understanding if a police officer is present a psychopath will refrain from activity which may land them in jail. Therefore a responsible person.

An insane person is not aware.

[Skybird]

He knows right and wrong in tbe meaning of recommended (not) if that officer is there. But he is also unscrupolously manipulative and anti-ethical. He knows how to manipulate others by THEIR ethics and turning these against them, but they have no moral meaning for himself, he has no morals like he has no empathy and is unable to feel empathy.

[Kapitan]

Think Alex Churchill put it best in one of the world war weird documentaries

“Hitler was basically a smack head”

[Catfish]

Hitler was not a "madman". Power greedy, without morals, yes.

Originally Posted by Skybird

He knows right and wrong in tbe meaning of recommended [...] But he is also unscrupolously manipulative and anti-ethical. He knows how to manipulate others by THEIR ethics and turning these against them, but they have no moral meaning for himself, he has no morals like he has no empathy and is unable to feel empathy.

That is what i think, and which fits for a lot of potentates.

[Skybird]

One needs to never forget one thing aboug such a psychopathic personality structure: it is capable of unlimited cruelty without any remorse, if that is what serves its interests. Psychopaths are egoism monsters.

[Catfish]

How the propaganda resembles ..

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/b...a-really-works

"In a situation where a regime does something likely to be unpopular with its people, like the current invasion of Ukraine, propaganda can channel citizens through three steps of rationalisation: denial, minimisation, and justification.

In the denial phase, the propaganda can help citizens reject the factual evidence and believe that it is not happening:
“There is no war, it is a limited operation.”

In the minimisation phase, as factual evidence gets harder to reject, propaganda may help citizens minimise the problem:
“There is a conflict but it is limited.”

Finally, in the justification phase, propaganda can help citizens progressively accept and support the new reality:
“There is a war but it was needed.”

Same everwhere, since millenia. Only the means to spread and infiltrate private homes have changed.

[Jimbuna]

I believe Hitler and Putin more or less both tick the same boxes.