Narcissistic
Personality Disorder (NPD) involves a distorted self -image. It is considered a
mental problem requiring psychiatric treatment. According to the U.S. National
Library of Medicine, people with NPD have an excessive sense of
self-importance, an intense preoccupation with themselves, and a lack of
empathy for others. People often describe someone with NPD as cocky,
manipulative, selfish, patronizing, arrogant, domineering, needing admiration,
exploitative, and demanding.
Citizens
of the United States have a clear example of the narcissistic personality in
the person of their President, Donald Trump. I believe that one example of
Trump’s narcissism it his treatment of his wife. Most men entering a building
will let their wives go ahead of them. Trump gets out of a car and walks ahead
without waiting for his wife.
Former Director of the
FBI, James Comey, argues
that Trump does not make decisions on the basis of philosophical, religious, or
logical considerations, but simply to assuage the deficiencies of his own
character and emotional makeup. "His only
reference point is internal -- 'what will bring me what I need, what will fill
this hole in me -- get me the affirmation I crave' -- that is deeply
concerning,"
Professor Sander
Thomaes, a developmental psychologist at Utrecht University, says of Donald
Trump: "I often use him during my classes. My research is primarily
focused on narcissism. There is no better example than Trump. He is a
prototypical narcissist." Thomaes describes some characteristics of a
classical narcissist; grandiose self-image,
a very inflated ego, continuous need for attention, a big urge to be admired, and
if that admiration is lacking or the narcissist is criticized, which is even
worse, he lashes out recklessly.
How could so
many people support such a narcissist? Psychologists say that Trump’s
narcissism in actually one factor in his appeal to his supporters. In Psychology Today, Dr. Joseph Burgo
writes that: “The rise of Donald Trump thus marks the fusion
of populism and narcissism. In times of enormous demographic shift and economic
uncertainty, populism exerts a strong appeal for the anxious voter.
Populist messages rely on simplistic answers to complex problems and promote an
us-versus-them warfare mentality. Like Mr. Trump, populists engaged in battle
have traditionally ridiculed their opposition. In his narcissistic endeavor to
prove himself a winner at the expense of all those ‘losers’, Trump relies on
righteous indignation, blame, and contempt as weapons of war. Many disaffected
voters are drawn to him precisely because of those traits and not in spite of
them.”
There is, of course, considerable danger in having a
narcissistic president. As a narcissist, Trump feels that he can
rely entirely on his own judgment even though he is surrounded by highly
educated experts on every subject. Trump seems to resent educated aides and
cabinet members. He gets rid of them as soon as he can. He believes that he is
the best judge of any issue coming before him. He got rid of his intellectual
National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, for the obvious reason that McMaster, a PhD
former General, was far more educated than his Boss. He got rid of Secretary of
Defense, Rex Tillerson, who called him a “Moron.” He has canned other qualified
aides for the same reason.
More than 60,000
mental health professionals have signed a petition, which states: “We, the
undersigned mental health professionals, believe in our professional judgment
that Donald Trump manifests a serious mental illness that renders him
psychologically incapable of competently discharging the duties of President of
the United States. And we respectfully request he be removed from office.”
Trump’s aides are well aware of his narcissism and other mental
problems, but they cannot speak openly about them. But someone close to the
White House, George Conway, husband of White House spokesperson and advisor Kellyanne
Conway, feels free to tell the truth. He says
"Have we ever seen this degree of
brazen, pathological mendacity in American public life? …..Whether or not
impeachment is in order, a serious inquiry needs to be made about this man's
condition of mind."
Trump is known to have dangerous policies put
into documents for him to sign. Several of his former aides claim that they had
to remove some of such documents from Trump’s desk before he signed them
because of the rashness and danger embodied in them. The aides who were most
likely to have done that are all gone now. One wonders what documents they were
referring to. Will we have to endure a nuclear war with North Korea because of
Trump’s narcissism?
