[randac]

Hilarious that this was downvoted, with a cowardly lack of discourse as usual.

Please, continue to assume Putin is a stereotypical cartoon villain. One would think users of a site like HN would have at least passing knowledge of Occam's Razor...

[nostrademons]

I wasn't the one who downvoted, but I've heard someone who has met him speak (in a semi-private, company-internal event), and his exact words were "Putin is scary." This is from someone who is in tight with the current US administration, and who in the same talk mocked Kim Jong-un saying "North Korea has one export - fear. Everything else, they suck at", so it's not like he's afraid of all world leaders.

You don't get to the highest levels of power by being a normal person nor by having other people who you like, respect, and admire, particularly not in a country with a long tradition of autocratic rule. I think that people who are assuming Putin is just another old Joe are projecting their own thought processes onto him, which in a way is admirable - I would love to believe the best in people too - but is at odds with both the culture and history of the country he rules and with the workings of power across all cultures.

[riboflava]

Meeting Putin would scare me just on the basis that as ex-KGB he could snap my neck if he was so inclined. I'm not sure that's enough to really characterize the man, though, at least it's little more than what the people who project average-Joeness have. At least with e.g. Larry Ellison we have many independent reports from those that worked with / under him that we can safely agree it is a mistake to anthropomorphize him.

[Relys]

One does not simply get into that type of position without being an psychological apex predator. In fact, many high functioning sociopaths are attracted to positions of power both in the business and political worlds.