Trump's World
“In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity. The sense of identity provides the ability to experience one's self as something that has continuity and sameness, and to act accordingly.”
Erik H. Erikson
Last week, I posted an essay that focused on Donald Trump's personality structure, and discussed how various features might cause his behavior to play out. In the days since, a number of factors have been causing more and more problems for Trump, which is no doubt influencing his mood. In fact, on CNN, it was reported that people in the White House have described his mood Monday as “humiliated” and “super pissed.”
That mood is being attributed to Nick Ayers rejecting Trump's offer to serve as chief of staff. It is, of course, due to much more than that. CNN is also reporting that Trump has become increasingly concerned that the new House will impeach him. More, there are reports of an increasing number of republicans in the House and Senate expressing off-the-record concerns about Trump. Add to that the new letter from 44 former Senators – including Democrats and republicans – reminding the current Senate about its responsibilities as an institution.
To top it off, today Nancy Pelosi spanked him in front of television cameras and reporters. For lack of better word, we will now be witnessing the “synergy” of the Ayers and Pelosi public humiliations – feelings that Trump is not used to. It will combine with the stress he is experiencing from the “synergy” of last week's court filings, combined with related court hearings this week – again, feelings that Trump is not used to experiencing.
What behaviors might we expect from Trump in upcoming days? In a sense, obviously, the usual brat-attack melt-down. No surprise there. But it will become more intense than “the usual.” (Note: while I am writing this, my cousin called to inform me that it has already started with Trump's latest tweet.)
Erikson, like several others, noted a temporary psychotic disorder that was found among the general population that was not otherwise diagnosed with one of the major psychotic disorders. Known as a “brief reactive psychos,” this is a break in an otherwise “normal” person that can happen after a traumatic events, such as a death in the family, or even a divorce. It can last anywhere from a day to several months. Erikson said this was a the result of the sudden disorganization of the brain, which requires the individual to re-integrate the sense of self and others, in order to return to “normal.”
Although this is distinct to experiences that some people have had during vision quests while isolated in the mountains or in a desert (or, to an extent, the result of taking too large a dose of psychoactive drugs, such as when the CIA was testing LSD), there are some interesting similarities. Those who have such experiences often use highly symbolic language as the device to communicate what is, or has, been experienced. Thus, Erikson spoke of the need for others to understand that type of communication.
This, however, is not what we might see with Trump. There is another experience, generally limited to those who are known as malignant narcissists, psychopaths, or sociopaths that actually shares some fascinating similarities. Unlike what Erikson spoke of, this is not the result of one traumatic day's events. Rather, it results from one day after another after another of very emotionally challenging days. In other words, when they are about to be, or are being, caught for their misdeeds.
The result is some of the “micro” psychotic breaks from reality in his thought processes, similar to some of the dynamics covered by Bob Woodward's book “Fear.” It will be paranoid thinking that attributes various plots and conspiracies against him to the dwindling number of people loyal to him. He will generally express these thoughts to others around him. An early example of this was when he claimed that President Obama “wiretapped” him – this was distinct from his usual lies, because in his mind, at least for the moment, he believed it.
Rather than having an attempt to re-integrate after these, Trump attempts to dis-integrate what others recognize as reality. Those in the White House will try to keep him under wraps, or in only highly scripted public settings. But from his tweets alone, we will know that he is still in that primitive, deep, dark jungle. And, considering what Trump is currently up against, this is the phase in which his behaviors become the most high risk – both to himself, and others.
Peace,
H2O Man
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