Interview Babel Magazine - Excerpts Part 38 - Narcissism and Sex

Written by Sam Vaknin

Q: Which well-known criminal most fascinates you?

Sam: Adolf Hitler. He was the reification of evil -banal, pathologically narcissistic, a consummate actor, a perfect mirror. This is how evil is born - when we are no longer ourselves. When we derive our sense of self-worth (actually, our sense of existence) exclusively from others, we seek to subjugate them in order to secure our own gratification. To do so, we often invent "grand schemes" - history, the nation, God, religion, freedom, justice - and then proceed to impose these concocted structures on others, if need be by force.

Q: If you could be a fictional character - whether it be from a novel, movie, TV show, play, or mythology, etc. - who would it be?

Sam: Hercule Poirot, of course. I always admired his cryogenically cool brain, his penetrating intellect, his astuteness, his erudition, his sense of drama, his sadism, his narcissism, not to mention his Dali moustache!

Q: Which historical figure do you most respect?

Sam: Winston Churchill. The man was the ultimate polymath. I doubt if such a confluence of outstanding talents will ever recur.

Q: How crazy are you?

Sam: Mad as a hare (laughing).

I am not crazy at all. I am not psychotic or delusional. I suffer from a personality disorder (as do 15% of the population). It is not considered a mental illness.

Q: Give us your thoughts on these two words: a) chameleon; b) mirror.

Sam: a) I; b) You.

Q: What is the key to understanding Sam Vaknin? In other words, what makes you tick?

Sam: You do. This interview. Attention, I crave attention. It is never enough. I want more. And I want it now.

next: Excerpts from the Archives of the Narcissism List Part 39