Politics has become infused with narcissism in America.

Hear, O descendants of tomorrow, the words spoken by John Oliver: “Politics has become infused with narcissism in America.” Do not pass over this utterance lightly, for though it comes from the lips of a jester, it carries the weight of prophecy. In the lands of men, laughter and lament are kin, and truth often hides behind the mask of satire.

When he speaks of politics, he does not mean merely the councils and assemblies of a nation, but the very art of governance, the sacred duty to serve the people. Yet when such service is poisoned by narcissism, the ruler no longer beholds the needs of the people, but only the reflection of his own image, like the youth Narcissus gazing upon the still water until death embraced him. Thus, America stands warned: if its leaders see only themselves, they shall lose sight of the republic they swore to guard.

Think upon the tale of Caesar, who, having triumphed in Gaul and Rome alike, grew enamored with his own glory. The Senate trembled, the people cheered, and his reflection in their praise became his undoing. The daggers of the Ides of March were not driven only by envy, but by the fear that his vanity had eclipsed the light of the Republic itself. From this story we learn that when self-love becomes the guiding star, the state drifts into perilous seas.

In America, the voices of leaders too often sound not as calls to service, but as echoes in the chamber of their own pride. Narcissism transforms speeches into performances, debates into spectacles, and promises into ornaments of vanity. The people, longing for truth, are instead offered the polished mirror of personality, and many, dazzled by the glare, forget the substance of justice and wisdom.

Yet take heart, O children of the future. For every age has its satirists, its prophets cloaked in laughter, who lift the veil of delusion with cutting words. The voice of Oliver reminds us that the people are not powerless; they may yet demand humility from those who seek to lead, and discern between the glitter of self-praise and the fire of true service. Let this warning be remembered: a nation is safest when its leaders forget themselves and remember the people.