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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