John F. Kennedy Personality - Case Study Example

Download file to see previous pages John Kennedy belonged to a large family in Massachusetts. His father, Joseph, was a motivated, tough, and single-minded man. His mother, Rose, a zealous Roman Catholic and the daughter of a politician, was a firm disciplinarian and authoritarian who instilled in her children a sense of individuality or self-determination (Gilbert, 1998). According to Rose, revealing her philosophy as a mother, “When I held my newborn baby in my arms, I used to think that what I said and did to him could have an influence not only on him but on all whom he met, not only for a day or a month or a year, but for all eternity—a very challenging and exciting thought for a mother” (Gilbert, 1998, 143). According to Hellman (1999), John’s parents made every effort to deepen the interest of their children in public issues and politics. The Kennedy children, in order for them to develop a sense of confidence, were trained to think like a ‘Kennedy’ and should be aware of and honored by their legacy. For them to have a competitive nature and sense of individuality, they were trained to play forcefully and succeed. They have to keep in mind the tough philosophy of their father: “Don’t play unless you can be captain” and “Second place is failure” (Gilbert, 1998, 143). They were pushed toward excellence. Their mother was similarly meticulous in her attempts to drive her children to perfection. Their family is sympathetic and accommodating but very challenging and tough....
They have to keep in mind the tough philosophy of their father: “Don’t play unless you can be captain” and “Second place is failure” (Gilbert, 1998, 143). They were pushed toward excellence. Their mother was similarly meticulous in her attempts to drive her children to perfection. Their family is sympathetic and accommodating but very challenging and tough (Valenty & Feldman, 2002). The way John Kennedy was raised portends his extrovert and neurotic leadership style. However, the interaction between cardinal traits and secondary traits is manifested in the case of John Kennedy. Instead of being manipulative of others, he gained the full commitment and trust of his subordinates by giving them respect. Even though he loved being the center of attention, Kennedy did not resent his supporters in their commonplace encounters (Hellman, 1999). He did his best to be reachable to them. He valued them and viewed them as dedicated and committed to his objectives. One major adviser portrays the White House during the Kennedy administration as a site “where there were no clear or continuing splits along political or philosophical grounds” (Valenty & Feldman, 2002, 174) and as a site of “good feelings and good fellowship” (p. 174). Ultimately, according to Gilbert (1998), instead of being emotional or oversensitive, John Kennedy had an impressive sense of humor. Sometimes, he was practically patient rather than indifferent in dealing with his opponents. Nevertheless, several of the attributes of the extrovert and neurotic personality as described by Cattell and Eysenck do not exactly depict John Kennedy. Instead of being self-conscious, for instance, Kennedy ready extensively and actively engaged in the political affairs ...Download file to see next pagesRead More