As a retired therapist I know more than a lot of other people about character disorders and how resistant they are to treatment or change. And I also see in Trump many other issues besides Narcissism, such as a probable ADHD problem and even outright psychopathy, also known as sociopathy. Not to mention that there also seems to be evidence of progressive dementia. But whatever labels we apply to describe our understanding, we can still state the obvious: he is utterly unfit for office. Unfortunately, the only remedies for this very serious problem is removal from office via impeachment, or a decision to apply the 25th Amendment, neither of which seems remotely possible under the circumstances, more's the pity.
Your description of our current conundrum has just reinforced my conviction that 47’s “brand” is irreconcilable with democracy. All of us better figure out how to work together to push back and disrupt the current chaos or we might reach the point of no return way sooner than we think possible.
Enjoy your trip, Asha! You are one of the reasonable voices/perspectives keeping me sane.💙
This is a very insightful essay ... and you are too modest, Professor, about how many have previously observed this particular connection between Trump's malignant narcissism and the unitary executive theory.
Thank you also for the Shelley quotation. I recently reread another brilliant poem of his that seems especially apropos of this mortal tyrant who is creating these historically dangerous and destructive times ... and whose own bell will inevitably toll:
Ozymandias
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desart.[d] Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
Everything the man has ever done in his adult life he has done because there was something in it for him. He does not care one whit about anything other than himself and the contents of his bank account. He would throw his own kids and grandkids under the bus if it got him something in return. Everything is a transaction with him.
If Frued were still alive, Trump would serve as a textbook example of an id on steroids. As others have noted, Trump would also be a textbook example of pathological narcissism and psychopathy. They ADHD speculation as well as early signs of dementia also seem to have their place in his pathology and unfitness for the Presidency. I would also like to add another observation. His ongoing threats to allies and others fit the pattern of what has been referred to as the cycle of violence that is seen in domestic abuse situations. The threats and then the softening. More threats, more softening. Think about it. Thank you for this piece of writing. Safe travels to Kenya.
Seeing through the threats, gaslighting, etc. EVERY world leader —including Putin— know Trump is an incredibly ignorant, weak man and useful idiot who flip flops positions and easily manipulated using PRAISE to feeds his narcissism. America’s enemies know exactly how to “play” the orange turd!
Excellent observations. Mary Trump's first book about him and her family pretty much explains his narcissistic up bringing.
What I can't get over is also how much kompromat there must be on him. So many news stories from 2015 and on about past foreign loan deals, interactions with Russians, etc, that can also explain so much of his behavior in an Occam"s Razor sorr of way. I wish the press was more deligent in digging into these stories and tying them together.
Excellent article. He's a thief, a con and a grifter. Many have diagnosed him as a narcissist..I really don't care...whatever he is, he must be stopped and if that won't do put a nose twitch on him and clam his backside down!
Altruism is a word Trump doesn’t know, doesn’t understand and can’t be taught. He is purely transactional and it has to be to his benefit only. He is both a malignant narcissist and a sociopath in addition to being a pathological liar.
Thanks Asha, I was looking forward to round up this week.
I am jealous but happy for you. Have a wonderful and safe trip.
My Academic classmates may think I’m trying to score points with the prof. However, being an expat in the Middle East afforded travel to India and Africa. 2001 I was able to spend 2 weeks in
Kenya and Tanzania, including a hot air balloon flight.
I just wish people would listen to the whistleblowing teachers at WhiteChalkCrime.com exposing that fascists took over our schools decades ago and have been hollowing out democracy. They gave us the people who think a con artist was a good idea for president. Had we listened years ago we could have dodged Trump. If we listen now we’ll have that desperately needed big idea that will get a democratic leader back into office. We need a hero!
Ignoring this has cost us dearly. How do we get people to look into corruption that the teachers’ unions have bowed down to exactly like the Republicans are now bowing to? No democracy could stay intact with the schools we have and with such disrespect for teachers that they are totally powerless. Our schools are the deep state that gave Trump a magic carpet for power. Education is an arena that few deem worth their time when it’s the key to how we’re in chaos now. How can we change that?
A question I hope you might consider covering at some point after your trip (unless you did and I missed it) is what/how much can be done about the admin decreasing/ removing oversight on foreign interference in elections? It seems like that should be a big focus in a sea of sooo many things that need our focus. Thank you!
And we knew all this about him back in 2016. He’s being more himself this time unfortunately though. You can’t analyze a thing that’s beyond evil so maybe my point falls flat somewhere
As a retired therapist I know more than a lot of other people about character disorders and how resistant they are to treatment or change. And I also see in Trump many other issues besides Narcissism, such as a probable ADHD problem and even outright psychopathy, also known as sociopathy. Not to mention that there also seems to be evidence of progressive dementia. But whatever labels we apply to describe our understanding, we can still state the obvious: he is utterly unfit for office. Unfortunately, the only remedies for this very serious problem is removal from office via impeachment, or a decision to apply the 25th Amendment, neither of which seems remotely possible under the circumstances, more's the pity.
Your description of our current conundrum has just reinforced my conviction that 47’s “brand” is irreconcilable with democracy. All of us better figure out how to work together to push back and disrupt the current chaos or we might reach the point of no return way sooner than we think possible.
Enjoy your trip, Asha! You are one of the reasonable voices/perspectives keeping me sane.💙
This is a very insightful essay ... and you are too modest, Professor, about how many have previously observed this particular connection between Trump's malignant narcissism and the unitary executive theory.
Thank you also for the Shelley quotation. I recently reread another brilliant poem of his that seems especially apropos of this mortal tyrant who is creating these historically dangerous and destructive times ... and whose own bell will inevitably toll:
Ozymandias
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desart.[d] Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
No thing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
Everything the man has ever done in his adult life he has done because there was something in it for him. He does not care one whit about anything other than himself and the contents of his bank account. He would throw his own kids and grandkids under the bus if it got him something in return. Everything is a transaction with him.
If Frued were still alive, Trump would serve as a textbook example of an id on steroids. As others have noted, Trump would also be a textbook example of pathological narcissism and psychopathy. They ADHD speculation as well as early signs of dementia also seem to have their place in his pathology and unfitness for the Presidency. I would also like to add another observation. His ongoing threats to allies and others fit the pattern of what has been referred to as the cycle of violence that is seen in domestic abuse situations. The threats and then the softening. More threats, more softening. Think about it. Thank you for this piece of writing. Safe travels to Kenya.
Seeing through the threats, gaslighting, etc. EVERY world leader —including Putin— know Trump is an incredibly ignorant, weak man and useful idiot who flip flops positions and easily manipulated using PRAISE to feeds his narcissism. America’s enemies know exactly how to “play” the orange turd!
Excellent observations. Mary Trump's first book about him and her family pretty much explains his narcissistic up bringing.
What I can't get over is also how much kompromat there must be on him. So many news stories from 2015 and on about past foreign loan deals, interactions with Russians, etc, that can also explain so much of his behavior in an Occam"s Razor sorr of way. I wish the press was more deligent in digging into these stories and tying them together.
Excellent article. He's a thief, a con and a grifter. Many have diagnosed him as a narcissist..I really don't care...whatever he is, he must be stopped and if that won't do put a nose twitch on him and clam his backside down!
Altruism is a word Trump doesn’t know, doesn’t understand and can’t be taught. He is purely transactional and it has to be to his benefit only. He is both a malignant narcissist and a sociopath in addition to being a pathological liar.
Have a wonderful time, Asha. What a great getaway you have planned. Peace and Love be with you.
Thanks Asha, I was looking forward to round up this week.
I am jealous but happy for you. Have a wonderful and safe trip.
My Academic classmates may think I’m trying to score points with the prof. However, being an expat in the Middle East afforded travel to India and Africa. 2001 I was able to spend 2 weeks in
Kenya and Tanzania, including a hot air balloon flight.
Enjoy the food n wine. IG pics please. Cheers 🙏
I feel shame as well as embarrassment for our country. I’ve been struggling with the fact that, as Asha put it, WE are the bad guys.
Have a safe trip.
I just wish people would listen to the whistleblowing teachers at WhiteChalkCrime.com exposing that fascists took over our schools decades ago and have been hollowing out democracy. They gave us the people who think a con artist was a good idea for president. Had we listened years ago we could have dodged Trump. If we listen now we’ll have that desperately needed big idea that will get a democratic leader back into office. We need a hero!
Ignoring this has cost us dearly. How do we get people to look into corruption that the teachers’ unions have bowed down to exactly like the Republicans are now bowing to? No democracy could stay intact with the schools we have and with such disrespect for teachers that they are totally powerless. Our schools are the deep state that gave Trump a magic carpet for power. Education is an arena that few deem worth their time when it’s the key to how we’re in chaos now. How can we change that?
Have a great trip!!
A question I hope you might consider covering at some point after your trip (unless you did and I missed it) is what/how much can be done about the admin decreasing/ removing oversight on foreign interference in elections? It seems like that should be a big focus in a sea of sooo many things that need our focus. Thank you!
Rest well and have fun.
And we knew all this about him back in 2016. He’s being more himself this time unfortunately though. You can’t analyze a thing that’s beyond evil so maybe my point falls flat somewhere