The mistake that everyone makes is judging former President Trump based on the standards for a sane, rational person. He is actually quite easy to understand and predict once you come to the realization that this man is a PSYCHOPATH.
Don't believe me? Google "20 traits of a psychopath." https://www.cbc.ca/doczone/m_features/the-hare-psychotherapy-checklist • glib and superficial charm • grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self • need for stimulation • pathological lying • cunning and manipulativeness • lack of remorse or guilt • shallow affect (superficial emotional responsiveness) • callousness and lack of empathy • parasitic lifestyle • poor behavioral controls • sexual promiscuity • early behavior problems • lack of realistic long-term goals • impulsivity • irresponsibility • failure to accept responsibility for own actions • many short-term marital relationships • juvenile delinquency • criminal versatility.
Donald Trump is an insane cowardly bully, sadist, delusional, totally amoral, fraudulent PSYCHOPATH, narcissist, con artist, traitor, ignorant pathological liar, five-time draft-dodger, career tax-cheat, serial cheating husband, grifter, whoremonger, perverted serial rapist, incestuous father, fascist, terrorist, and would-be dictator. He is a clear and present danger to our republic. He must be held accountable under the law; or there will be no law. Long live the United States Constitution and the rule of law.
The Goldwater rule is clearly a societal problem. Created during a very different time in America’s continually changing, developing, and evolving general knowledge levels and understandings of mores looking back now it should be clear that the rule needs to be discarded and a more fitting model for how to best inform the public at large about individuals who pose genuine threats to society needs to be adopted.
In any event the most important change that can be made is to elevate and increase general awareness and understandings about mental health problems and educate people in ways that remove the stigmas and barriers created by them.
I just discovered your excellent piece on Trump's malignant narcissism. I did my doctoral work at UCB and one of my areas of specialization was personality disorders, and I read Kernberg and others long ago. I have been discussing and posting on FB since 2015 about Trump's malignant narcissism as a textbook case and there has rarely been a day since then when further blatant evidence of his pathology has not been on display.
In any case, I could not agree more with your conclusions about Trump, Putin, and the danger these disordered people pose to all of us.
I also agree that the ASPD element is clear but so is PPD, completing the trifecta. He has other comorbidities as well including a near psychotic level of OCD.
I think I disagree with your objection to the Goldwater rule but I think it's an interesting debate. The problem with giving free rein to experts to publicly discuss matters as complex as malignant narcissism is that it would result in, for example in Trump's case, "experts" from both sides disagreeing and leaving the broad public awash in confusion, at which point they would all stop listening. I think the duty to warn argument is a good one, but if people aren't warned by Trump's statements concerning the suspension of the Constitution, they are hardly going to be warned and change their minds by what may appear to them to be academic gobbledegook.
It's not like you can call the local police or the FBI and warn them that a patient is making credible threats to harm someone that have otherwise been hidden. Trump's intent to do harm is on full public display already. Nor would a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist expounding on the risks of Trump's pathology get us one step closer to unveiling the facts of his being used by Putin.
Exposure of his actions and his conspiratorial behaviors are the best treatments to protect the public, that and criminal prosecution.
Thank you for your kind words, interest and thoughtful comments. The one thing that seems to be misunderstood is I am not advocating for free reign for all psychologists to do what ever. Even though it is impossible in this climate, a psychological qualifying board would be nice. What I am saying is the opposite of free reign has massively failed us so we need more public education on narcissist psychology so the people who can figure it out for themselves have the knowledge to do so. I have a variety of other thoughts on what could be done but that is a story for another time. Here is my first piece on the subject that should clarify some of the issues. https://samray.substack.com/p/psychiatry-and-psychology-are-failing
I knew it was just a matter of time. My optimism is based on our history. We entered WWII on the right side, McCarthyism and the Red Scare was stopped in their tracks, the VN war machine was defeated at home and trump will be hitting his brick wall soon.
The mistake that everyone makes is judging former President Trump based on the standards for a sane, rational person. He is actually quite easy to understand and predict once you come to the realization that this man is a PSYCHOPATH.
Don't believe me? Google "20 traits of a psychopath." https://www.cbc.ca/doczone/m_features/the-hare-psychotherapy-checklist • glib and superficial charm • grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self • need for stimulation • pathological lying • cunning and manipulativeness • lack of remorse or guilt • shallow affect (superficial emotional responsiveness) • callousness and lack of empathy • parasitic lifestyle • poor behavioral controls • sexual promiscuity • early behavior problems • lack of realistic long-term goals • impulsivity • irresponsibility • failure to accept responsibility for own actions • many short-term marital relationships • juvenile delinquency • criminal versatility.
Donald Trump is an insane cowardly bully, sadist, delusional, totally amoral, fraudulent PSYCHOPATH, narcissist, con artist, traitor, ignorant pathological liar, five-time draft-dodger, career tax-cheat, serial cheating husband, grifter, whoremonger, perverted serial rapist, incestuous father, fascist, terrorist, and would-be dictator. He is a clear and present danger to our republic. He must be held accountable under the law; or there will be no law. Long live the United States Constitution and the rule of law.
The Goldwater rule is clearly a societal problem. Created during a very different time in America’s continually changing, developing, and evolving general knowledge levels and understandings of mores looking back now it should be clear that the rule needs to be discarded and a more fitting model for how to best inform the public at large about individuals who pose genuine threats to society needs to be adopted.
In any event the most important change that can be made is to elevate and increase general awareness and understandings about mental health problems and educate people in ways that remove the stigmas and barriers created by them.
Well said.
I just discovered your excellent piece on Trump's malignant narcissism. I did my doctoral work at UCB and one of my areas of specialization was personality disorders, and I read Kernberg and others long ago. I have been discussing and posting on FB since 2015 about Trump's malignant narcissism as a textbook case and there has rarely been a day since then when further blatant evidence of his pathology has not been on display.
In any case, I could not agree more with your conclusions about Trump, Putin, and the danger these disordered people pose to all of us.
I also agree that the ASPD element is clear but so is PPD, completing the trifecta. He has other comorbidities as well including a near psychotic level of OCD.
I think I disagree with your objection to the Goldwater rule but I think it's an interesting debate. The problem with giving free rein to experts to publicly discuss matters as complex as malignant narcissism is that it would result in, for example in Trump's case, "experts" from both sides disagreeing and leaving the broad public awash in confusion, at which point they would all stop listening. I think the duty to warn argument is a good one, but if people aren't warned by Trump's statements concerning the suspension of the Constitution, they are hardly going to be warned and change their minds by what may appear to them to be academic gobbledegook.
It's not like you can call the local police or the FBI and warn them that a patient is making credible threats to harm someone that have otherwise been hidden. Trump's intent to do harm is on full public display already. Nor would a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist expounding on the risks of Trump's pathology get us one step closer to unveiling the facts of his being used by Putin.
Exposure of his actions and his conspiratorial behaviors are the best treatments to protect the public, that and criminal prosecution.
Thank you for your kind words, interest and thoughtful comments. The one thing that seems to be misunderstood is I am not advocating for free reign for all psychologists to do what ever. Even though it is impossible in this climate, a psychological qualifying board would be nice. What I am saying is the opposite of free reign has massively failed us so we need more public education on narcissist psychology so the people who can figure it out for themselves have the knowledge to do so. I have a variety of other thoughts on what could be done but that is a story for another time. Here is my first piece on the subject that should clarify some of the issues. https://samray.substack.com/p/psychiatry-and-psychology-are-failing
I restacked this and recommended reading it if they have to deal with a narcissist- and we all are!
Thanks so much for spreading the good word Sharon!
✨Very good read. Even before he stole the presidency, I could never believe a word that individual said ! ✨
I knew it was just a matter of time. My optimism is based on our history. We entered WWII on the right side, McCarthyism and the Red Scare was stopped in their tracks, the VN war machine was defeated at home and trump will be hitting his brick wall soon.