Longacre: The importance of being well informed

I am not a psychologist, but from my reading of descriptions by several psychologists and other mental health professionals in 2017’s “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President” by Bandy Lee, I have come to the conclusion that we laypeople are all “blind men” when it comes to Trump. What appears at first glance to be a normal human being is, in reality, anything but.

Let’s take a closer look. Clinical psychologist Dr. John Gartner (see pages 93-107) has identified Trump as one of the very rare people who fits the definition of “malignant narcissist.” According to Gartner, this type has four basic traits, each of which is dangerous but, taken together, produce a veritable witch’s brew. Very briefly, these traits include (1.) narcissistic personality disorder (this explains the belief that one is uniquely superior); (2.) antisocial personality disorder (this explains the constant lying, willingness to exploit others and lack of empathy); (3.) paranoia (this explains the appeal of conspiracy theories and the belief that others are out to get him); and (4.) sadism (this explains one’s glee in persecuting, terrorizing and even exterminating one’s perceived enemies and scapegoats). An additional factor, which makes identifying these traits difficult to the untrained eye, is “the power to coerce and seduce others to share (one’s) grandiose and persecutory delusions.”

The huge question is, “Now that you know what kind of person Trump is, what are you going to do?” Are you going to go into denial? Are you going to pretend it doesn’t matter? Are you going to be a Christian nationalist and say, “He is God’s choice”? Or are you going to understand his danger to our democracy and resist with all your might? That would be my choice.

Frederick Longacre

Hockessin

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