10 March 2016 - meaning of paranoia

If you’re a tyrant then there are people conspiring behind your back, and you’ve gotta make sure none of them has a knife. Paranoia is a survival trait. If you’re a benevolent ruler under a system with orderly and peaceful transfers of power, then paranoia only gets you voted out sooner, at least if the system is working smoothly. So high paranoia means a high need for political reform, a need which probably comes about because paranoia suppresses political reform.