A CIA Psychologist on the Minds of World Leaders, Pt. 2 with Dr. Ursula Wilder
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Summary

Dr. Ursula Wilder (LinkedIn)) joins Andrew (X); LinkedIn)) to discuss the intersections between psychology and intelligence. Ursula is a clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience working at the Central Intelligence Agency. 

What You’ll Learn

Intelligence

• How psychology can be useful to national security

• Historical examples of leadership analysis 

• Leadership personality assessments & the Cuban Missile Crisis

• Psychoanalytic theory and espionage

**Reflections **

• Human nature throughout history

• History repeating itself

And much, much more …

Quotes of the Week

*“Together, these documents are quite powerful. The psych assessments are very, very carefully, tightly held and are classified at a high level. Every intelligence officer has this fantasy about seeing the file that's kept on them by the opponents.” *– Dr. Ursula Wilder.

**Resources **

SURFACE SKIM

SpyCasts

- Agent of Betrayal, FBI Spy Robert Hanssen) with CBS’ Major Garrett and Friends (2023)

- The North Korean Defector) with Former DPRK Agent Kim, Hyun Woo (2023)

- SPY@20 – “The Spy of the Century”) with Curators Alexis and Andrew on Kim Philby (2022)

- “How Spies Think” – 10 Lessons in Intelligence) with Sir David Omand (2020)

Beginner Resources

- What is Psychoanalysis?) Institute of Psychoanalysis, YouTube (2011) [3 min. video]

- Psychologists in the CIA), American Psychological Association (2002) [Short article]

- 7 Reasons to Study Psychology), University of Toronto (n.d.) [Short article]

DEEPER DIVE

Books

- Freud and Beyond, S. A. Mitchell (Basic Books, 2016)

- Narcissism and Politics: Dreams of Glory, J. M. Post (Cambridge University Press, 2014)

- The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, E. Hoffer (Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2010) 

- Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, D. K. Goodwin (Simon & Schuster, 2004)

- Leaders, Fools, and Impostors: Essays on the Psychology of Leadership, M. F. R. Kets de Vries (iUniverse, 2003) 

**Primary Sources **

- Charles de Gaulle to Pamela Digby Churchill) (1942) 

- Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat) (1940)

- Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant) (1885)

- Gettysburg Address) (1863) 

- House Divided Speech) (1858)

- Excerpt on Cleopatra from Plutarch's Life of Julius Caesar) (ca. 2nd century AD)

- Plutarch’s The Life of Alexander) (ca. 2nd century AD) 

• Appian’s The Civil Wars) (ca. 2nd century AD) 

Virgil’s The Aeneid) (19 B.C.E) 

Wildcard Resource

- On Dreams) by Sigmund Freud (1901)

In this simplified version of the father of psychoanalysis’ seminal book The Interpretation of Dreams, you can get a small taste for Freudian philosophy. Freud believed that dreams were a reflection of the subconscious mind and that studying a person’s dreams can elucidate their inner wants and needs. What are your dreams telling you? 

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