During the Trump administration there was a period of considerable public interest in a topic that many of us knew little about: abnormal psychology. We learned about personality disorders, about narcissism, about sociopathology, and, as well, we learned that psychologists have strict rules about diagnosing someone without having personally interviewed them. But, of course, if the shoe fits…….
The aim of this psychological enlightenment was, needless to say, to explain the president himself, and many of us believed that it did, indeed, illuminate some of Trump’s more disturbing personal traits.
Currently, people’s political interests are focused upon another matter: threats to the democratic system. Republicans seem to have lost interest in democracy and are actively pursuing ways to produce minority governments with them in charge. They wish us to believe that the present federal establishment is a malign, dictatorial force, bent upon oppressing the people and betraying their interests. Trump himself has pledged, if he is re-elected, to cleanse the other branches of government, including a massive dismissal of government’s public employees, replacing them with workers loyal to the president.
Perhaps it would be worthwhile to return to our past interest in psychology in order to examine a factor relevant to the issue of democracy’s endangerment. Once again, our focus will be on Trump.
Trump exhibits traits of a category of disturbed persons known -- through the analytical work of lawyer and therapist Bill Eddy -- as HCPs, or High Conflict Personalities. Some people, due largely to childhood experiences (though there may also be a genetic factor) think that all human relationships are inherently adversarial. Consequently, they feel threatened by others. And are driven to control, destroy or defeat their adversaries. In other words, they see the world as a combative, sink-or-swim, dog-eat-dog drama. They also exhibit intense and unmanaged emotions, refuse to accept blame and are attracted to glory, attention, vindication and validation. They wish to possess absolute power and are highly aggressive. And yet, at the same time, they can be extremely charming, persuasive and even charismatic.
HCP personality traits often overlap with other, clinically-recognized disorders, such as narcissism. Narcissists are preoccupied with appearing, and being, superior to others. They are driven to put other people down. They often have grandiose ideas and fantasies of unlimited power, and lack empathy with others. Another overlapping condition can be the antisocial personality disorder, which involves a drive to dominate others, deceitfulness, lack of remorse and aggressive behavior.
Trump displays traits of an HCP, plus the two clinical disorders just described. He is, therefore, an example of someone who has a condition called “malignant narcissism.”
Trump-like HCPs are often attracted to politics. They enjoy the attention and the validation of their superiority that politics can provide, and they value the power that elected office brings with it. Mr. Eddy has discovered that HCPs tends to conduct political campaigns using the
following strategy: first, claim that the country faces a crisis, and that behind that crisis is a villain. Next, convince voters that the crisis is dire and the need to confront it, and the villain or villains behind it, is urgent. Third, claim to be the hero who is alone capable of defeating the villain(s) and disposing of the crisis. Part of this scheme is to make people think that it’s too late for ordinary problem-solving and what is needed is immediate group action, under the guidance of a strong, determined leader.
The crisis identified by the HCP is almost always completely imaginary, or at least highly exaggerated; and the villain is usually someone with whom the public is not very familiar. In Hitler’s case, the villains were the Jews. In Trump’s case, among the crises that he identified in his 2016 campaign for president, were: Hispanic immigrants crossing the southern border who were criminal types who would undoubtedly engage in criminal behaviors like drug-dealing and rape, and a national security crisis caused by Clinton’s use of her own computer (remember “Lock her up!). Today, the crisis is the “deep state’s” effort to not merely attack Trump (HCPs often see themselves as victims), but his loyal followers as well; though why government employees would do so is not clear.
The campaign rhetoric of the HCP is always repetitive and highly emotional. It produces fear, anxiety, the conviction, mentioned above, that action, rather than thought, is called for. The HCP candidate is always relentlessly aggressive against rivals and engages in personal attacks. The overall strategy is to divide and polarize the country’s component political factions, for only if they fail to unite in opposition to the HCP will the HCP have a good chance of coming out on top.
How, then, does an HCP/narcissist/antisocial president govern in a democracy? Since he inhabits an adversarial world, a world that contains only friends or enemies, a world of winners and losers, his outlook is paranoid and he will claim to be conspired against by his enemies. He is compelled to control, to attack and humiliate his enemies, to be “top dog” with unlimited authority. He is unlikely to admit that he makes mistakes, will never apologize, and will demand absolute loyalty from those who work for him. With them, he will be emotionally explosive. His narcissism leads him to believe in his superiority, but he nonetheless has a constant craving for public acclaim and admiration. His anti-social component produces, among other things, a willingness to lie in pursuit of his goals, an unrelenting aggressiveness, and a total lack of contrition or shame. Mr. Eddy describes individuals with these personality traits as “wannabe kings.”
Past and present HCPs discussed by Mr. Eddy include Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Putin and Berlusconi; Americans such as Father Coughlin, Huey Long, George Wallace, Joseph McCarthy and Richard Nixon, and, of course, Donald Trump.
What, then, does all this have to do with my column title’s reference to “the future of democracy”? Simply this: the malignant personality type discussed here is the antithesis of a personality type who would be inclined to support, strengthen and protect a democratic system of government. If, as election season approaches, you have reason to suspect that any candidate for political office displays HCP characteristics……… vote for someone else.