Trump's narcissism is poisoning America

[babylonsister]

http://theweek.com/articles/721952/trumps-narcissism-poisoning-america?utm_source=links&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=facebook

Trump's narcissism is poisoning America
David Faris
August 31, 2017

snip//

The best way to be competent at the presidency's ceremonial functions is to not be a pathological narcissist. The kind of emotional intelligence required to respond to a national crisis is something that many functioning adults possess almost instinctively. It's how you instantly mobilize to help a family member in need, or how you surround the sick or the grieving with love, run their errands and cook their meals. Most people know, without being told, not to respond to crisis by starting fights, reopening old wounds, or making someone else's tragedy about them.

President Trump is not most people. He is a narcissist. He's the kind of person who starts wailing inconsolably when your mom dies. He's the sort of friend who descends into self-pitying coldness when you get a promotion. These kinds of poisonous people suck up all of the emotional energy in the room by turning everything into a maelstrom of selfishness and performance and rage. Everyone is, by happenstance or poor decision-making, stuck with a handful of people like this in their lives, but over time we find ways to minimize their presence, and to distance ourselves from their worst outbursts.

President Trump's leadership during the Hurricane Harvey nightmare is a microcosm of everything he is incapable of as a human being: sustained empathy, determined focus, and the ability to put aside one's short-term needs and desires for the sake of people who need help. He put the dark abyss of his soul on display for everyone to see.

It wasn't just his revolting "What a turnout, what a crowd" moment when he visited Texas. It was conducting his Oceania-Eurasia war with the media while people were still fleeing disaster and trying not to drown. It was using the hurricane to execute his inexcusable pardon of the unapologetic sadist Joe Arpaio and then claiming he had done it to increase the "ratings." Amazingly, this pampered billionaire who failed up into the world's most prestigious and coveted job spent his time feeling sorry for himself rather than caring for the vulnerable citizens who are his responsibility.

It's not just that he couldn't muster the right tone when he was in front of the cameras — White House reporters noted that, even in private, the president expressed no sympathy for the suffering. And while this provided ample fodder for sarcastic Twitter takedowns, the president's persistent emotional void imperils the fragile bonds of community and fellowship that are the only things holding this country together.

These are not political failings, things which President Trump possesses in almost biblical abundance. They are, instead, the pathologies of a deeply broken man, a person so devoid of feeling for his fellow humans that he reliably has exactly the wrong reaction to every single event that captures the public's attention. And while such people are, in some cases, deserving of a certain kind of sympathy, they have no business being in charge of the world's most critical symbolic job.

They are toxic. And we are stuck with one of these hapless egomaniacs as our president.

[essaynnc]

1. Worth a read.

This describes tRump to a tee, and was written 4 years ago, not necessarily about him. His personality is textbook !!!! Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy, all combined into "The Dark Triad". Sounds like a horror movie!!! Yep, it is.

What they don't talk about is how to combat it effectively. Ideas??

WELL WORTH THE READ.

[link:https://illimitablemen.com/2013/11/17/understanding-the-dark-triad/|

[MyOwnPeace]

2. Anybody watching...

the Primary debates had to have seen this exact behavior in his interactions with the contenders for that party's nomination. I can understanding choosing NOT to watch them, but even the free advertising that the MSM did for him made it very clear that this is a sick, demented person.

[Grammy23]

6. I saw a rerun of a debate tRump had with Hillary Clinton.

The stalking behavior and horrible scowl on his face made my blood run cold. At the same time, I was enraged that he was allowed to do that with no penalty. That anyone could witness that and not fear having him in the White House just boggles my mind.

[BigmanPigman]

3. You just wrote the very reason why his base loves him and always will!

They are not called "a cult of personality" for no reason. They psychologically are drawn to his personality and do not (and never will) give a shit about any issues. Someone on DU posted an article about the 5 personality traits/psychological make up that his cult possess. Aug 3 in Raw Story UC Santa Cruz Professor of Psychology Thomas Pettigrew wrote about it in the Journal of Social and Political Psychology. I do not know how to link it.

For this very reason his popularity will remain consistent regardless of just about anything that the normal, rational thinking person would consider detrimental to his presidency.

[nvme]

4. The two likely diagnosis for him taken from a reliable source The DSM 5

“Cluster B Personality Disorders
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria 301.7 (F60.2)
A. A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others, occurring since
age 15 years, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
1. Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, as indicated by
repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest.
2. Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for
personal profit or pleasure.
3. Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead.
4. Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults.
5. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others.
6. Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent
work behavior or honor financial obligations.
7. Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt,
mistreated, or stolen from another.
B. The individual is at least age 18 years.
C. There is evidence of conduct disorder with onset before age 15 years.
D. The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of schizophrenia
or bipolar disorder.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria 301.81 (F60.81)
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack
of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated
by five (or more) of the following:
1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents,
expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements).
2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal
love.
3. Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or
should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
4. Requires excessive admiration.
5. Has a sense of entitlement (i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable
treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations).
6. Is interpersonally exploitative (i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own
ends).
7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
8. Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
9. Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.”
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition – (DSM-5). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

[Grammy23]

5. But we are not stuck with him. He is not the King---yet.

There are remedies to the issue of having a sick, flawed man as President. Thank goodness. Our problem now is to prod, push or demand that the people who can do something about this nightmare do it. They are resisting and holding off as long as they can. It is a huge gamble the longer they delay, but let us hope they act before he starts WW III.

[smirkymonkey]

7. This article is so spot on.

It describes him perfectly. The man is completely devoid of humanity. He needs to be removed as soon as possible to prevent any further damage to this nation.

[Initech]

8. Remember Arrested Devlopment when Tobias got the hair plugs?

And the hair plugs started rejecting him, and they had that whole thing about "Graft vs Host"? This is real life - Trump is the graft, and we are the host rejecting the graft. And it is slowly killing us!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

9. The GOP imperils our fragile bonds, not just tRump

Quote #1: "persistent emotional void imperils the fragile bonds of community and fellowship that are the only things holding this country together".

Doesn't this quite well describe most everything the entire GOP does? Destruction of protective laws and regulations, trickle-up economics, the market is thy god attitudes, marginalization of our media, mergers and acquisitions on steroids, total disregard of basic human rights, abuse of our systems of justice and corrections....the list never ends.

Quote #2 modified for Congress: "They are toxic. And we are stuck with a boatload of these hapless egomaniacs in the House and Senate".