I am often reminded of the brilliant line from “The second Coming” by WB Yeats.[1]
“The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity”
Normal people are often full of doubt, their comments are often guarded by caveats etc. Dictators, populists, narcissists, confidence tricksters speak in absolutes. Their messages are very appealing because they seem so clear and straightforward. They can seem brilliant because of this certainty and sometimes can achieve a lot because they aren’t held back by the kinds of reservations and scruples that most people suffer from.
“The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity”
Normal people are often full of doubt, their comments are often guarded by caveats etc. Dictators, populists, narcissists, confidence tricksters speak in absolutes. Their messages are very appealing because they seem so clear and straightforward. They can seem brilliant because of this certainty and sometimes can achieve a lot because they aren’t held back by the kinds of reservations and scruples that most people suffer from.
[1] https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43290/the-second-comi...