1. Though he has watched a decent age go by,

2. A man will sometimes still desire the world.

3. – Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus

THE IMPACT OF THE END OF LIFE ON THE NARCISSIST

Dreams of glory never die. They don’t even fade away. And as the time horizons increasingly shrink with the ebbing of the years, there is often an increased urgency for the narcissistic leader to accomplish his goals. The consummate narcissist does not mellow with age. Nor does the consummate narcissist accept with equanimity fatal illness, which instead can serve as a spur to his ambitions.

MAO ZEDONG: RACING HEEDLESSLY TO ACCOMPLISH HIS GOALS

Thus, for Mao Zedong, the reckless pace of both the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, which had such destructive consequences for his country, may well have been a consequence of his facing the end of his years with his revolution not yet consolidated. Mao was surely designated for a place of honor in the pantheon of history-changing charismatic leaders, but for the consummate narcissist, there is never enough. He was seriously ill, aware that there was little time left to fully accomplish his goals. Indeed, many China analysts have argued that his program to achieve a balance among the sources of power in the Peoples Republic – the military, the party, and the bureaucracy – was necessary but would require decades to accomplish, and Mao knew his time was short.