Similarities between Voldemort and dictators

What Makes a Dictator?

General Traits of Psychopathy

-Charming, charismatic, intelligent, self-confident, independent, self-absorbed, excellent liars, compassion-less, sadistic, hunger for power

-Damage to frontal lobe & amygdala
        -The frontal lobe has been linked to the expression of a moral compass and compassion

-The amygdala has been linked to control fear, rage, and emotional memory

-Damage to these areas (particularly the frontal lobe) can cause highly addictive personalities since they  

are unable to find pleasure from some of the same things that normal people would (reading a book, etc.)

-In the case of sadists this leads to an addiction to hurting/killing others which gets worse over time

-Certain X chromosome linked to aggression→ why dictators tend to be men

-Usually abused and/or lost caretaker in childhood



Voldemort Vs. Hitler

-Childhood: muggle orphanage vs abused as a child
-Highly charismatic vs talented public speaker
-Persuasive & manipulative
-Thirst for power→ control of Wizarding world vs thirst for power leading to pan-Germanism
-Denial (Fudge, Prophet, etc.) vs Appeasement (Prime Minister Chamberlain)
-Focus on purity of blood→ pure blood v. mudblood VS segregation and genocide
-Propaganda→ “Magic is Might”, puppet in Ministry, control of Daily Prophet vs control of media
-Dark mark vs Swastika
-Second Wizarding War vs WWII



Quotes

-“Voldemort is of course a sort of Hitler. If you read books about megalomania types like Hitler and Stalin, it’s interesting to find how superstitious these people are, with all their power. It’s part of their paranoia, the desire to make themselves bigger then who they really are; they love talking about destiny and fate.” - JK Rowling

"The easiest way to gain control of a population is to carry out acts of terror. The public will clamor for such laws if their personal security is threatened" - Stalin

-Alfonso Cuarón, director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban compared Voldemort with George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein. Both are selfish, show disregard for the environment, in love with power, and seek to manipulate people.


Presented by Paige Yelvington, Rachel Brittain, and Josh Lee