narcissists

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The Shame of the Republican Party


Has the “Party of Lincoln” now become the “Party of Trump?” It would seem so.

President Trump started last summer by saying that if he were not re-elected it would be because the election was stolen from him. The seeds of misinformation were sown. But Trump was doing what totalitarian leaders throughout history have done. They make up a story and then portray that story as the truth even when absolute facts show otherwise.

Trump is not the first horrible president we have had. The two presidents to follow Lincoln, Johnson and Grant each failed the country with, in Johnson’s case, a total inability to work with Congress and Grant’s failed efforts with reconstruction. Then there was Harding who, had he not died in office, would not only have been removed from office but have been jailed. He had the most corrupt administration of all time. The other one worthy of mention is John Quincy Adams who simply did not know what to do in the office he held but redeemed himself when he left the presidency and became one of the early 19th century’s most effective politicians.

Even before he was elected, Trump was deemed to be a narcissist. A true narcissist is incapable of admitting wrong doing. It gets worse when they also believe that every word which leaves their mouth is an absolute truth. This showed up in 2016 when he proclaimed how overwhelmingly he defeated Clinton when in fact he lost the popular vote. And then in 2020 he said he got the most votes any Republican candidate has ever gotten, which is true, but fails to recognize that his opponent received 7 million votes more than he did. Losing is not a word found in a narcissist lexicon.

During his four year in office Trump defined his base not by naming them but by appealing to them. This bases is the far right wing, ultra-conservatives and worse, neo-nazis, white nationalist and other fringe groups and militias who can find no problem with violence against state governments and the federal government. This played out against the governor of Michigan who Trump has earlier called upon these extremists to take back their state, a blatant call to arms. Then he wound up the January 6th crowd to march upon the Capitol knowing full well that this group was full of armed extremists.

There are 50 republican senators in the senate and only 5 of them appear to have to courage of conviction to call out Trump on the ugliness he brought upon our country. And the other 45? A few of them can be categorized as extremists themselves but the others cowardly cower in fear of retribution from Trump loyalists which could cause them their seat in congress. This is cowardly behavior beyond the pale. Their first duty is to the country and not to any single person, regardless of the virtual power they ostensibly have. If 35 of more republicans simply said that Trump’s behavior is counter to what is best for our nation then the far right wingers would be seen as what they are, the minority and an extreme minority as well. But they, the senators and congressmen, fail to realize that they are allowing the tail to wag the dog. They are complicite in allowing homegrown terrorists to continue unchecked. They are unworthy of the position of trust to which they were elected.

Where are your morals? Where is your courage? Where is your alligence to the oath of office you took? All seem to be missing and your character is forever blackened.

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People of the Lie


I have stolen this title from Dr. M. Scott Peck who wrote a book, same title, on the subject of narcissistic people.  I recommend it as a good psychological read.  M. Scott Peck was a well-known psychiatrist, now deceased, who also wrote the best-selling book “The Road Less Traveled” which stood atop the NY Times non-fiction best seller list for years, literally.

Narcissus was the guy in Greek mythology who would look lovingly at his own image and fail to see any faults what-so-ever.  Unfortunately our society is filled with such people.  I offer up Dick Cheney as an excellent example of narcissism.  He could lie so well I think he actually believed his own b.s.  What is worse about the narcissist is their absolute failure to either see or admit to having a part in anything wrong.  They rationalize their own bad behavior in a manner that leaves them blameless.

In his book Peck identifies these people as being evil.  It suggests that you need only look at history’s most evil villains and you will find they are all narcissists. The question becomes, then, how do you protect yourself against such people?

I think the first thing you have to do is recognize them when you encounter them.  Fortunately they are, it is my belief, relatively rare in their “full blown” form.  That is, the total narcissist is not all that common.

Unfortunately, aside from recognizing them and keeping them out of your life as much as possible is about all you can do.  I know, no answer, how can that be?  Sometimes you run into circumstances that one person cannot overcome.  You surround yourself with people who know you, trust you, and love you, and there is nothing the narcssist can do to you that you cannot overcome.   Now that you know what you are looking for, be careful and be safe.