I agree with this:
One of the nation’s top psychologists just broke one of his profession’s ethics rules to give President Donald Trump a professional diagnosis.
John D. Gartner, a psychotherapist who teaches at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, told US News that he believes Trump has “malignant narcissism,” which is incurable, and different from narcissistic personality disorder. Gartner violated the “Goldwater Rule” of the psychology profession, in which a diagnosis of a public figure without personally examining them, and without their consent, is considered unethical.
“Donald Trump is dangerously mentally ill and temperamentally incapable of being president,” Gartner said, citing his movements and behavior, pointing out the president’s tendency for grandiosity, sadism, aggressiveness, paranoia, and anti-social behavioral patterns.
“We’ve seen enough public behavior by Donald Trump now that we can make this diagnosis indisputably,” Gartner added.
Indeed, the diagnosis fits the bill of Psychology Today’s definition of malignant narcissism, which, when described, sounds like Donald Trump almost to the letter. Carrie Barron, M.D., who wrote the magazine’s blog on Malignant Narcissism, says the disorder “renders these individuals scary, dangerous, and ruthless.”
Malignant Narcissists will go to great lengths to achieve their aim. They can be intelligent, high functioning (hold an important job for example) soft-spoken, charming, tearful/seemingly emotional, gracious, well mannered, kind and have the ability to form relationships. They may lie, falsely accuse, dramatize, smear, cheat, steal, manipulate, accuse, blame or twist to get what they want and feel justified in doing so. Because they are entitled, egocentric and desperate, they do not experience it as wrong. They are determined to gratify their wishes and furious if thwarted. Their desire can be so consuming that there is little comprehension of, respect for or ability to empathize with the other. They lack guilt or remorse and tend to feel or pronounce that it is they who have been mistreated.
Most politicians have narcissistic personality disorder in some measure so this is not quite as scary as it sounds.
What it means, basically, is that the more our Donald is criticised, the angrier he will get. That probably means we can expect a lot more symbolic politicking as he seeks to bolster an abraded monster ego. The FT sees this as legitimate:
Donald Trump often says things that are not true, a pattern that has continued right into the presidency. Much has been made of this, but it should not obscure the fact that his official actions thus far have been perfectly consistent with the principles and priorities he broadcasted during the campaign.
He is what he said he was: an enemy of free trade, immigration, regulation, abortion rights; a defender of the American fossil fuel industry and the use of torture. He won an election on these foundations, and his energetic pursuit of them as president is fitting and legitimate. The idea that Mr Trump is to be taken “seriously but not literally” — now worn smooth with repetition — was a canard all along.
I don’t think so. The narcissist needs the glowing light of success. Thus I think it likely that although we’ll get a near ceaseless barrage of symbolic politicking in response to MSM needling, we’ll also see policy that ensures Trump generates American jobs and growth, as soon as he is able.
When that eventually fails we’ll see an enraged Donald in search of a very large scapegoat.
