You’re the best man for the job––and for the world. You’re a tireless crusader, a hero for the ages, the hope of a new generation. The future of democracy and the very prosperity of Earth hinge on you winning the White House.

The average person’s biggest problem with a**kissers is that they don’t have enough of ‘em. But if you’re Hillary, Obama or McCain, you’re likely swimming in a sea of flattery. Your accomplishments and starpower suddenly form the branding pitch for the world’s most important company. At what point do you start to believe the hype?

It’s human nature to process only confirmatory feedback about your skills, and to go deaf to the counterevidence. And that’s before you factor in the (healthy) dose of narcissism needed to run for president in the first place.

Politicians and presidents live in the same sycophantic fishbowl as celebrities––with a tad more at stake. When Britney Spears or Tom Cruise go off the deep end, the country jeers. When George Bush gets lost in a fog of fawning or manipulative advisors, the world jeers at us.

Unless you’re a political junkie who haunts Washington’s power corridors for a living, it’s tough to judge how insulated a politician really is. But if you know someone in power, it can be painfully obvious: Do they seek out counterinformation and solicit personal critiques? Or do they shut down dissenting opinions like a hall monitor busting up a kegger?

That’s why seeing yourself as others really see you is so critical–-and so tough. The best advice I’ve heard for the likes of Hillary and Obama hails from noted publicist Michael Levine. As Levine noted to PT:

If you are among the bold and the beautiful, [Levine] says, you must invite feedback by playing on the fact that people want desperately to be liked by you. "You must let them know that your approval is conditional upon their honesty with you."

I know that in a country obsessed with politicians’ personalities, candidates have no choice but to sell themselves. But I’d give a few pennies for the following thought: When Obama has heard himself hailed as the answer to America’s prayers six times in three cities in two days, does he think, “When will this madness end?” Or does he think, “When will the rest of the country see the light?