It's not a political strategy. It's the predictable behavior of a narcissist.

[EarlG]

Does any of this sound familiar? It's from an article about what happens to narcissists when they lose a presidential election, er, I mean, have their narcissistic supply taken away.

Throughout, the narcissist is beset by a pervading sense of malignant nostalgia, harking back to a past, which never existed except in the thwarted fantastic grandiosity of the narcissist. The longer the lack of Narcissistic Supply, the more the narcissist glorifies, re-writes, misses and mourns this past.

This nostalgia serves to enhance other negative feelings, amounting to clinical depression. The narcissist proceeds to develop paranoia. He concocts a prosecuting world, incorporating in it his life's events and his social milieu. This gives meaning to what is erroneously perceived by the narcissist to be a sudden shift (from over-supply to no supply).

These theories of conspiracy account for the decrease in Narcissistic Supply. The narcissist then - frightened, in pain, and in despair - embarks upon an orgy of self-destruction intended to generate "alternative Supply Sources" (attention) at any cost. The narcissist is poised to commit the ultimate narcissistic act: self-destruction in the service of self-aggrandisement.

(snip)

The narcissist believes that, no matter what he does, he will always be forgiven, always prevail and triumph, always come on top. The narcissist is, therefore, fearless in a manner perceived by others to be both admirable and insane. He attributes to himself divine and cosmic immunity - he cloaks himself in it, it renders him invisible to his enemies and to the powers of "evil". It is a childish phantasmagoria - but to the narcissist it is very real.

https://www.healthyplace.com/personality-disorders/malignant-self-love/narcissists-reaction-to-deficient-narcissistic-supply

[Wednesdays]

1. "...commit the ultimate narcissistic act: self-destruction in the service of self-aggrandisement..."

I can certainly see TFG make his final act one of self-immolation...a huge ball of flames, one like nobody has ever seen before.

[Captain Zero]

4. Problem is he could do it with our nuclear arsenal

If he somehow gets back in the white house.

[emulatorloo]

7. Wise person said don't worry too much about things that haven't happened or may not happen at all

[EarlG]

6. I think we're seeing it in slow motion

Losing the election was the withdrawal of his narcissistic supply -- he couldn't handle being told by the nation that he was no longer allowed to be The Most Powerful Man In The World, and instead he was being demoted to "just some rich guy living in a golf club":

"The narcissist believes that, no matter what he does, he will always be forgiven, always prevail and triumph, always come on top."

Trump refused to believe that the nation would reject him, to the point that he was claiming that the election was rigged before it even happened. Once he actually found out that he lost, his conspiracy theories about the election being stolen took over:

"The narcissist proceeds to develop paranoia. He concocts a prosecuting world, incorporating in it his life's events and his social milieu."

While losing all of his election challenges in court, Trump's conspiracy grew and became criminal, which he capped off by gathering a mob in DC and setting them loose on the Capitol:

"The narcissist then - frightened, in pain, and in despair - embarks upon an orgy of self-destruction intended to generate "alternative Supply Sources" (attention) at any cost."

Now we're at the stage where, with the law breathing down his neck, he's out there attacking the prosecutors, judges, and witnesses:

"The narcissist is poised to commit the ultimate narcissistic act: self-destruction in the service of self-aggrandisement."

What's weird is that the media continues to report on his mental disintegration as if it's a legitimate political strategy.

[TygrBright]

16. It is a political strategy as long as a substantial number of voters respond...

...as the narcissist hopes they will, by attending rallies and sending money.

It is a political strategy as long as a major political apparatus (even one that has become a criminal conspiracy instigated by antisocial oligarchs) legitimizes it.

It is a political strategy as long as enough potential voters respond that yes, they're gonna vote for the sick, toxic narcissist.

The media isn't helping, by constantly refraining from pointing out how insane and dysfunctional it all is, but they can't really be blamed for treating it as a political strategy. In the political arena, it is functioning like a strategy.

wearily,
Bright

[EarlG]

17. Good points. Maybe it's some of both?

It’s a personal strategy to compensate for lack of narcissistic supply, but it manifests as a political strategy because that’s the arena he’s playing in.

Most garden variety narcissists don’t get to become President of the USA, so they just act out against friends and family. Trump, having made it to the top of the heap, is acting out against the whole country.

What he’s doing is political, in the sense that it incorporates the political establishment. But the ends are not political at all, in the sense that he’s interested in “the affairs of the cities.” All of this is purely about him and his own sense of well-being.

[TygrBright]

22. Indeed... "L'etat... c'est moi" n/t

[sheshe2]

2. On point!

Thank You.

[anciano]

3. Excellent post.

Thanks.

[chillfactor]

5. GREAT read!

Thank you for the post.

[emulatorloo]

8. Thanks!

[Blue Owl]

9. K&R

[Rhiannon12866]

10. K&R! Thanks so much, spot on!

[58Sunliner]

11. K & R!

[Lonestarblue]

12. There's an article in The Guardian today about how European leaders are already trying to decide

whether the US will be a country they can trust in the future. If Trump is elected, they think the answer is no. Their concern is that no one can trust a government headed by Trump. The question was whether Biden is a harbinger of going back to normal government or whether he is an anomaly that will next degenerate into Trump/Republican abnormal government. If that’s the case, they see the EU as having to go it alone without the US, along with the need to forge new relationships. None of that bodes well for the US.

[Joinfortmill]

14. That's the question for our tines. Scary as hell.

[Skittles]

15. WHY is Trump allowed to run again

he never conceded a legitimate election, then he tried to OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT....WTF IS GOING ON HERE

[maxsolomon]

18. He's going to get crushed in 2024.

He has gathered no new support since losing in 2020, and millions of his voters died of Covid.

His schtick is TIRED.

Maybe I sound like an optimist, but I've always been known as a cynic.

[Joinfortmill]

13. And very nuts.

[ecstatic]

19. If he's the nominee, how will he react to losing the popular vote a third time?

And losing the general election twice?

[appalachiablue]

20. On target, thanks. K/R Their ego and needs are immense.

[Midnight Writer]

21. It seems to me this applies to the hard-core MAGA supporter as well.

They feel they will never face consequences for their actions, and, what's more, that they shouldn't have to face consequences.

[Attilatheblond]

23. Yep, and throw in Ron DeSantis too

He is clearly on the narcissist scale. Also the despot scale.

[dalton99a]

24. Kick

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

25. I've only made several posts about this very thing

I've had the misfortune of living with narcissists, up close and personal, including three highly malignant ones. The ones I had to endure weren't wealthy like he was, but in ever other sense, he is the same as the others.

That's why TFG isn't so much of a mystery to me. Nay, he's frighteningly familiar.

[mopinko]

26. to me the most disturbing thing about this whole era-

despite all the examples of the 20th century, another mad man was allowed to rise to power.
sometimes it seems like we’ve learned nothing.
except that we did. our understanding of mental illness and human mental pathology has grown by leaps and bounds. a huge amount of academic research went into understanding what happened in germany.
professionals warned us, at risk to their careers.

everyone here knows all this. but it’s not a part of the reality of half the country. and a good chunk of the world.
i srsly, srsly, want a thorough autopsy when he dies. (which cant come soon enough) i want his brain cross sectioned and i want pics of the swiss cheese that it is on my teevee and my front page. i want his real medical records released.

i want never again to stick this time.

[William769]

27. "i want never again to stick this time."

agreed!

[lindysalsagal]

28. Ok. 1 narcissist I can understand. But all the supporters

Are much more staggering. And ultimately far more dangerous. Why people volunteer to cater to these monsters is the real question.

[dlk]

29. Trump has given our country (and the world) a lesson we didn't need in abnormal psychology

Textbook pathology