The selected film for review is 2006: Forest Whitaker The Last King of Scotland: Antisocial personality disorder/narcissistic personality disorder.
Personality Theory Used
The theory taken in context is the self-psychology theory, a more advanced version of the psychoanalytic paradigm. Self-psychology was developed by Heinz Kohut during the 1970s. The theory is characterized by a variety of concepts in understanding the self. The universe of an individual rotates around the self and which further determines various behaviours and attitudes that people tend to have. Examples are evident in child development and growth. It is integral to note that a child developing in a healthy environment tends to have a consistent pattern in their behaviour, thereby having self-regulation and attributes that are easily understandable in their life. However, if an individual does not develop a sense of self, their needs tend to be relatively challenging to meet, and thus, become dependent on others in meeting these requirements.
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The aspect of narcissism thus develops when people tend to have issues with their environment thereby becoming dependent on others and their activities. Many psychologists have found the aspect of narcissism explicable through the understanding of the self-psychology theory. Narcissism is taken as a regular part of growth and development, especially among the children. It is common to find children having fantasies about how they have superpowers and how their parents are omnipotent. Moreover, as the children grow, they tend to find these activities as being unrealistic and thus give up on the same as they become adults. Insufficient parental empathy can contribute to narcissism disorders as the children always find the world as a challenge, hence having the belief that they are super and hence having overconfidence and engaging in unwanted activities.
Character Evaluation
The character to be analyzed in the film is General Ildi Amin, the Ugandan Dictator.
Review of the Personality Theory Used
Psychologists have presented their views on the self-psychology theory and narcissism personality disorder on multiple occasions. A study conducted by Baskin-Sommers, Krusemark and Ronningstam (2014) revealed that the behaviour of individuals is profoundly affected by the environment they have lived in and how other people view them. It was evident from the study that photographers experienced high cases of narcissism and self-efficiency owing to the ways they felt superior to others within their profession. Because other individuals wanted photography done, they felt that they were superior to them on multiple occasions.
Baskin-Sommers, Krusemark and Ronningstam (2014) also conducted a study regarding the personality disorder and how self-psychology concepts are integral in mitigating it extend on humans. The researcher found that the use of the theory can be helpful towards assuring the others that they are not inferior and hence leading to better environments for the narcissist. The results are backed by studies conducted by Kopala ‐ Sibley, & Zuroff, (2019), who argue that the case of narcissism is related to self and depression. It is evident that the self-psychology theory can thus be used to resolve the issue further and offer future alternatives for better outcomes.
Connecting the theory to the character
Amin evidently dominates his audience in his various speeches as he addresses the community over various matters. The dictator is seen to enjoy and become impressed as Nicholas assertively decides to shoot a cow that was suffering and moaning loudly. This is a clear indication of how narcissistic he is without any fear or empathy towards the ailing animal. However, Amin decides to utilize the situation as a platform for him to appear angry as he threatens Nicholas for his actions. This is done to seek attention and validation by the community. It is also evident that Nicholas is in fear as he responds to Amin’s questions about his nationality. The fear shows that Amin has been a dictator and is known for having lousy conduct and ruthless behaviours. Amin, however, utilizes the same opportunity and becomes more persuasive as Nicholas informs him that he is from Scotland and manipulates Nicholas to do his bidding for him; an activity that Nicholas was fearing but he feared Amin more and thus succumbing to the pressure.
The character’s behaviour is evidently part of what makes him appear to be a narcissist. He is cruel, brutal and ruthless across multiple scenes in the film, and this shows why many people fear to interact with him and being on his wrong side. Moreover, the character is seen to easily control people based on his power and ability to condone them for their behaviours. It is clear that he portrays the traits that are discussed under the self-psychology theory that guides behaviour and other concepts. Moreover, as the character is in power within the army and in the government, he has some power over the people, hence practising his dictatorship conduct.
Personal Reflection
In my analysis, I find that self-psychology theory offers insights on various concepts regarding the narcissism personality disorder that Amin, the character in the film selected, is facing. I have learned essential concepts about the behaviour of such individuals as they grow up owing to the culture and environment that these people have grown within. My understanding of the need for a better environment and clear understanding of life and its demerits, therefore, has improved and further evolved from thinking of myself as superior to others. I have learned that thinking of myself as being superior is not only a challenging perspective but also a factor that can lead to harmful behaviours in future.
By watching the film, I felt terrible about various actions taken by Amin on others. I find that he was not fair and did not practice ethical conduct in dealing with his counterparts. He was malicious and only considered the interests that would benefit him despite the wrong that he could do to anyone. I have learned that considering what others feel before I undertake any action is essential and can help me to become a better person in society. Moreover, I have also learned that society is comprised of people just like me, and we are all equal as humans, and no one should feel superior to others. Therefore, I will treat all my peers and colleagues in an excellent way to avoid any conflict and to lead better relations with them. Moreover, I will ensure we understand each other’s feelings and employ aspects of emotional intelligence in my associations as a process of having the best outcomes.
Conclusion
Through the analysis, it is evident that the character selected is facing the narcissism personality disorder based on his conduct and ways he treats others. He feels that he is superior to the others due to his position in the government, thus leading him to become a dictator and thus causing various issues. The theory presented to explain the case is essential in that it provides significant aspects that quickly outlines the concepts regarding narcissism personality disorder and the various factors instigating the same. The theory also helps to explain reasons as to why the character might have developed the narcissism disorder. It is evident that the character might have had a harsh environment when was growing up, thus led his unpredictable and unmanageable demenour. This is because of his actions, especially against people lower in rank that he actively dismisses and mistreats.
The theory argues that people faced with the narcissism disorder tend to be aggressive to others because they feel to be superior and thus should not be condoned for any mistakes they do. Moreover, they tend to have ideas that are based on their self-benefit and hence are not concerned over what others will feel as they make decisions. The theory further shows that the people tend to have unpredictable behaviours and this is seen in the character’s overall changing conduct from bad to right through the film. As a result, the link between the self-psychology theory and narcissism evident in Amin can be noted, and it shows the relative issue that the character faces as he does not realize he is faced with a personality disorder.
References
Baskin-Sommers, A., Krusemark, E., & Ronningstam, E. (2014). Empathy in narcissistic personality disorder: From clinical and empirical perspectives. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment , 5 (3), 323. Obtained from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4415495/
Biolcati, R., & Passini, S. (2018). Narcissism and self-esteem: Different motivations for selfie posting behaviors. Cogent Psychology , 5 (1), 1437012. Obtained from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311908.2018.1437012
Kopala ‐ Sibley, D. C., & Zuroff, D. C. (2019). The self and depression: Four psychological theories and their potential neural correlates. Journal of personality . Obtained from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30661243
