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I read somewhere that Trump has said he will outlaw political protest. So much for free speech! He is capable of anything (and, no, that is not a compliment!). And he is developmentally toddler-like! Not good; not good at all.🤮

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Like all malignant narcissists, he will do any selfish or insecure thing he can get away with.

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Oct 14·edited Oct 14Liked by Sam Ray

Yes, Sam, I'm sure you're right about that. But it bothers the hell out of me that half the country cannot see how anti-American and anti-democracy things like these are: outlawing protest and dissent, discontinuing (or cheating in) elections, punishing political opponents, encouraging political violence, bullying and threatening everybody to get one's way, ignoring death threats made on one's behalf, trashing (wholesale) the military, the generals, the FBI, the law (where it concerns him), judges, the courts, and the Constitution, etc. These kinds of things are antithetical to our American democracy, and have no place in it. It seems like a few years ago, the vast majority of sane citizens would have had no trouble recognizing it.

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Many of those sane citizens have been groomed with propaganda & narcissism.

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he did utilize national guard troops in Seattle, Portland, as Minneapolis. they were brutal, using rubber bullets, pepper spray, and in Portland they hussled a few demonstrators into unmarked vans.

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Extremely accurate analysis. I am especially glad to see that you acknowledge that the corporate media has really minimized the possibility of an informed voting populace; therefore, the chances for survival of this democracy (or of any democracy ) go way down. Without a “free press” we would not have gotten this democracy in the 1st place. So after dt (who is only their puppet, any way) is long gone they will still be with us. The next figurehead will look a lot more sane, like ,say Mike Johnson.(And many will breathe a sigh of relief-‘but not all.’) Those oligarchical interests have been getting stronger for 40 years-and, believe me- those billionaires and corporate giants are the ones who “will not go back.”

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Nice analysis yourself. Narcissistic billionaires & corp giants will go back when there's a firm barrier like effective democratic government, legal system & jail to stop them. That's why they work so hard to destroy all forms of effective checks & balances on them. Their antisocial psychology compulses them towards power & control, & won't stop until stopped.

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Go Kamala! (As you already observed- there should be No more “Mr. Nice-Guy” in our political discourse with the Narcissistic oligarchs-A business oligarch is generally a business magnate who controls sufficient resources to influence national politics.[1][2] A business leader can be considered an oligarch if some of the following conditions are satisfied:

uses monopolistic tactics to dominate an industry;

possesses sufficient political power to promote their own interests;

controls multiple businesses, which intensively coordinate their activities.[2]👊🏾)

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Oct 14Liked by Sam Ray

4) Hires lobbyists to influence politics and legislation for their own benefit.

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💯🎯

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Following you has been an education and a wild ride for me… not that I didn’t know these things beforehand - as I have a goddaughter who has filled this bill in her adulthood - but to bring this into our politics, how one person has used this to ignite this country on fire and divide it, in my lifetime has been breathtaking.

My parents and I came to this country to escape tyranny and I’ll be damned if I die in tyranny‼️

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We have a lot to teach the voters, that are expected, unjustly, to be part of a jury, upon voting, that should have convened a year or two ago, which would have affected 25% of the electorate and stopped the warfare, called law fare, but we don't have the time. A. People just don't understand economics. B. The MAGA voters, among others, have the most to lose, and haven't read how a second term won't resemble his first in any way, and don't understand economics, to think his first term did any good for a normie anyway. C. See the first sentence and explain, psychologically, how people who say I don't care he's a racist, a rapist I want my grocery bill lowered, to understand their cognitive dissonance between saying such things versus understanding the economic impact of autocracy or the morality of being pro-fetus yet accepting the other crimes? D. Lastly, the internet has ruined informed choice in every aspect psychologically and otherwise. We absorb on emotions and our pocketbooks by what is read on the web, which the media parrots or authors, and not the researched, well-informed full knowledge with discernment for ourselves leading to the open doors of populism/autocracy as we're told to do otherwise is not our option, and without question. To doubt is not to have faith, or somewhere along those lines. Bible Mike, Hillbilly private equity Vance, funded by and a champion for those like Yarvin, Musk or any tech bros, The Heritage themselves, The Federalists and so many who rode into the country on the back of what they despise will fund it to the end, what began decades ago, our representative democratic Republic to the standard of "The Haves and The Have Nothings". Sorry for the diatribe.

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As diatribes go, that wasn't bad because you're spot on regarding most to all of it. The difference in perception from a CNI perspective is that it's all a subset of narcissist psych.

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I think my points are points you asked how and why. I gave you points! Thanks for replying and it’s hard to fathom your perspective because between the two it’s scary as hell. You’ll read my comment on today’s post and maybe you’ll understand how they converge from normal to scared silly! Frankly, more time is not enough to correct a decade and we’re going to get what the most uninformed will give us as they’ve done it before and learned nothing.

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Oct 14Liked by Sam Ray

As an adherent of enlightenment principles I am offended by the dark ages unreason that has so easily turned normal Americans into superstitious conspiracy nuts. And frightened. I waited to get my sign after donating to Harris but will delay no longer. I need to publicly profess despite living in a cul de sac where only my neighbors will see my sign. I’ve had democratic signs before so the only thing I can see is it’s my fear of the ugliness. But I’m over 60 so who cares? I’ll make sure my kids renew their passports.

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✨Totally agreed ! Thank you, Sam ! ✨

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Oct 14Liked by Sam Ray

I still don’t have a good grasp on how MAGA believes they are going to be able to cope with the millions of less than stable types out here that also have narcissistic personalities - not to the malignant point - but to the point that laws don’t apply to them and all the guns.

Who is necessarily make these millions of Americans comply?

The military - as in South America?

Or perhaps that was never really the point?

Only the destabilization of the United States was the point?

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Narcissists delude themselves & everyone they can into believing they can handle anything.

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Oct 14Liked by Sam Ray

They can’t delude everyone. So I guess it will depend on the vote and on those who aren’t deluded and are willing and able to take action if necessary.

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True but it is a giant red flag regarding how many they have been able to delude.

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I was part of a group of readers of the wonderful @DocRockTx on formerly Twitter a few years back. She is a psychiatrist and boy is she savvy and always came with the receipts. I say all this to point out a certain book we did a deep dive of with the author, for one of the many book club readings with the Aunties. So I support and respect what CNI is working towards, understanding the underlying causes and the ways in which even us regular citizens can clear away the narcissistic fog creeping ever farther on our planet.

To the book! https://a.co/d/aQCqtA0

" Dying of Whiteness" by Jonathon Metzl .

This book and it's granular research ( with Allllll the receipts) is a deep dive into the minds and psychology of the current GOP voter.

One thing in particular really struck me and has informed me ever since, it is his reference to Durkheim's theory of Anomic suicide among the four identified types.

Excerpt from Wiki: "Anomic suicide reflects an individual's moral confusion and lack of social direction, which is related to dramatic social and economic upheaval.[6] It is the product of moral deregulation and a lack of definition of legitimate aspirations through a restraining social ethic, which could impose meaning and order on the individual conscience. This is symptomatic of a failure of economic development and division of labour to produce Durkheim's organic solidarity. People do not know where they fit within their societies. Durkheim explains that this is a state of moral disorder where people do not know the limits on their desires and are constantly in a state of disappointment. This can occur when they go through extreme changes in wealth; while this includes economic ruin, it can also include windfall gains—in both cases, previous expectations from life are brushed aside and new expectations are needed before they can judge their new situation in relation to the new limits."

Not only did this model fit the metric for the authors research and collations' of data, it occurs to me that expanding this concept into an over all look at highly affected segments of our respective communities illuminates the issues at hand even more clearly.

What i am beginning to grasp, yet not fully, is large segments of American society have lost a sense of usefulness. They are quite aware they don't have life as "good" as their fathers or grandfathers before them. ( this of course is debatable and a perspective) The constant stressors placed on most households in society are manifest in the sense of outrage and inchoate rage that has resulted in MAGA. The removal of morals and any means justify their ends to " get what they want" , even though I have yet to see even one example of a clear minded breakdown for their justifications.

Now, add to this a ridiculously armed/ uneducated and largely unhealthy population and you can see why it has been so easy for malignant megalomanic narcissists to thrive and take over the mindsets of these people. To go full Mussolini isn't that difficult when the people you gather to your "side" intellects are summed up by tabloid entertainment rags and programs. Ripe manure for any kind of conspiracy madness planted in febrile minds.

Once you see this steaming cauldron of filth get heated up, it becomes clearer how we got here in this societal situation. ( Think back to Brown vs Board of Education). Machiavellian narcissists' heaven right there, and entirely manufactured by the powerful and luck of the draw elite wealth caste. Because illogical uneducated masses are a weapon to these parasites. Used to wage war on the body politic of societies. For one reason, to maintain power and garner complete control through mutual hate.

This is why when you see these people being interviewed it is akin to going down a rabbit hole of psychopathy. Because they are actually mentally unstable! With a sense of outrage at their lack of position and respectable place in their own society, due to factors within and outside of their control. Simply put, they are often times mental toddlers who sneer at education and expanding their perspectives of the world around them. Not having the language nor understanding to put words to their internal rage, they display it in obvious and ugly ways. In this timeline this is typically accomplished with firearms, by men/ boys. Who having no understanding if why they feel so pointless and used by the world they occupy, seek to punish "them" for making them have feelings of inadequacy. Because looking into the mirror of oneself is simply unthinkable.

This is where narcissists are made: Growing older but never growing up emotionally. The inner disappointed child becomes un-sootheable. Then begins the attempt to quiet that simmering rage with alcohol, drugs, firearms and fantasy. Once you add in the internet and the ability to find other malignant dark triad types, it blossoms into some putrid death cult. Who's aimless aim is to take out as many of "them" ( pick whatever current demographic their childlike rage fixates on) as they commit firstly soul suicide, then eventually real death. Never realizing this is largely of their own making due to 1. lack of resources 2. lack of self awareness 3. A Power caste who is all too willing to direct these weapons masquerading as humans, to their gain and profit.

As much as I would like to believe this is a solvable societal issue, history gives many examples of the facts. There is and always has been malignant power brokers whose entire goal is to make certain they are standing on the necks of as many other humans as possible, while telling them the reason this is happening to them is the fault of "THEM! The Others!"

This is the same exact gaslighting methods used by abusers in the households of your own neighborhoods. The, " Look what you made me do to you! I hurt you because you deserved it! You are beneath me and I will go to any lengths to prove that on your flesh, spirit, soul." ( all because of an innate sense of unworthiness)

So, while we as a society may not be able to assist those in need of mental health therapy and reach all the people in such dire mental crisis individually; what can be done is to make certain our leaders and institutions are held to a standard and accountability. No matter how high the position. If we remove the ability for the malignant megalomaniacal narcissists currently holding the stick driving this crazy train, we have a chance of addressing this worldwide mental health crisis at the root cause of the disaffection.

And this my friends is thoughtful and conscionable Democracy.

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I understand what Trump is but I still don’t understand what compels our fellow Americans to support him. His lies alone should be enough to disqualify his candidacy. His cozying up to the like of Putin and Orban should add to the public distrust. His venality alone should raise eyebrows apolitically. What is wrong with his supporters?

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I understand

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Sam, you've asked for some thoughts on how we might reach folks before they vote for Trump. I don't know about that, but, with no specific goal in mind I'd like to discuss with them the difficulty inherent in distinguishing between people who tell the truth and genuinely care about you, and people who need you to see things ONLY their way, and they don't care about you except for the listening and applauding that you provide them. As a professional listener, I'm a licensed psychoanalytically trained therapist, much of the work I do amounts to helping people revalue their own gut feelings about people.

Often they've been told how they SHOULD feel from the time of earliest childhood and they have come to doubt the legitimacy of their own perceptions, their own gut feelings and needs. I have a lot of empathy for those who are prone to following a huckster, a braggart, a malevolent con-artist. Predatory men who need to dominate, can sense where you're vulnerable and they can hook you with whatever they think will attract you to them. Do you need to feel like a helping nurturer? They'll be the injured victim so that aspect of you will get activated. Do you need someone to look up to? They'll jut out their chin and act like they own the world, you'll believe it because you need to lean on someone "strong", and that's how they'll hook you into them. Do you need to be emotionally included in order to feel like you belong to the "in" group? They'll perform in a way that gabs center stage so you'll always have someone to orbit around, making you feel like you belong to a group led by a charismatic superman and you're in with the in-crowd.

I've learned in my profession that just countering a person's perceptions usually has the effect of offending them, causing them to become angry, withdrawn, or leave treatment altogether. I have no need to directly impact another person's mind, but I have a working hypothesis that they've been prevented, during childhood, from recognizing their own feelings and needs. My listening stance, therefore, is to hear, underneath their attachment to whatever charismatic person they're attached to, the needs that are being fulfilled through this relationship. Empathizing with the legitimacy of those needs, helps to give them credibility, and the person gradually becomes aware that those legitimate needs are not really being fulfilled by the man they originally thought was a savior. They gradually come to see that they don't really feel cared about by him, that what they thought was caring, turned out to be just his way of using them.

This is a much longer process than what's needed right now but if I could buy a billboard, or get into social media feeds that they read, I'd say things like, "Some people use you, some people really care about you, and it can be hard to tell the difference." I'd like to seed this idea into the minds of Trump supporters, not forcibly change their minds, just give them a new idea to think about.

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