ABSTRACT
Gordon Brown is typical of many high achievers who push themselves relentlessly and often treat others in the same way, unaware of the harmful effect they may be having. When Brown fails to perform to the standards of his idealised view of himself, his ego is attacked and punished by a very severe superego. Brown accompanied his father on his rounds of parishioners and was exposed to the poverty and unemployment that resulted from the collapse of the textile and mining industries. Brown’s ideal of serving the interests of the community over self-interests has informed much of his fiscal and social politics. The bullying behaviour is a reflection of what is going on inside Brown's mind. When Brown fails to perform to the standards of his idealised view of himself, his ego is attacked and punished by a very severe superego.
