What can be said about the psychological profile and personality makeup of Rutherford?
Would like to get a survey of opinions from the people who post here. --VM44
Rutherford's Psychological Profile - A survey of opinion
by VM44 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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VM44
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VM44
For one thing, Rutherford was proud to be called a lawyer, as well as a "Judge" although it is dubious whether he should have used that title. --VM44
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VM44
Another side of his personality, Rutherford felt that he was entitled to accept gifts, no matter how expensive they were. Air conditioning units for his office in Brooklyn, expensive 16-cylinder Cadillac’s (two of them!), custom designed homes built on 100 acre property, traveling first class everywhere he traveled, liquor, all these things, and I am sure there were many more, Rutherford accepted gladly. --VM44
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tall penguin
I'd say he was a narcissistic megalomaniac.
Diagnostic Criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4. requires excessive admiration
5. has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6. is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
8. is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
Yup, sounds like the old Judge to me.
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VM44
Rutherford displayed the trait of intolerance towards those who disagreed with him, especially if the disagreement was public. This Rutherford in particular could not stand! --VM44
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tall penguin
My favourite site on the subject of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is:
http://www.halcyon.com/jmashmun/npd/dsm-iv.html#npd
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MerryMagdalene
Diagnostic Criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Thank goodness I only have 4 of those traits! That was close...LOL
That really does sound like what I've read of the Judge, though. Interesting.
~Merry
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VM44
From an online Wiki article:
"A God complex is a colloquial term used to portray a perceived character flaw as if it was a psychological "complex". The person who is said to have a "God complex" does not believe he is God, but is said to act so arrogantly that he might as well believe he is God or appointed to act by God."
Rutherford obviously had a "God Complex"
--VM44
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VM44
Rutherford always appeared to know what God wanted.
From the March 31, 1930 Time magazine article about Rutherford:
"He [Rutherford] accompanied the late William Jennings Bryan on his first Presidential campaign tour, announcing him as 'appointed by God to straighten out the problems of the world.'"
Mr. Bryan did NOT become President!
So much for Rutherford knowing who God had appointed!
--VM44
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greendawn
With such serious flaws in his character did he really believe what he grandiosely claimed, that god chose him to be His supreme human overseer over all His earthly affairs? In some of his photos he has the appearence of someone that just came out of an asylum for the insane.
He was aggressive, intolerant, delusional, egotistical, and a pathological liar, hardly the person with a meek christian personality that God would pick out as his top servant.