Poor Donald, Part 2

"Despite his wealth, the trappings of his office, and his attempts to appear otherwise, in the final analysis, his behavior reveals Donald Trump to be a poor man."

So ended Part One of this series. If you haven't read it I urge you to do so before getting into this one.

Donald Trump doesn't lack money or resources or housing or any of the basics of life, but he is still poor.

Remember that I came to this conclusion considering his physical behavior and body language, not his wealth or trappings. There are many kinds of non-material poverty: of spirit, of affection, of companionship, of self worth.

Let's look at an easy one: poverty of affirmation. Trump is so hungry for praise and acceptance that if he can't get it from the outside he makes up his own. This also speaks to a lack of self esteem and a sense of insecurity. He is a braggart and a boaster: the behavior of someone who desperately needs to hear himself praised, even if the words come from his own mouth.

That is classic Narcissism, and it points to the emotional emptiness of his condition. Most serious Narcissists hate themselves, recognizing the poverty of spirit and sense of worthlessness that gnaws at them.

It is that poverty that leads him so often to adopt defensive postures, specifically the crossed arms protecting his vital organs and the pout that acts as a symbolic seal on his mouth. He is signaling that he has walls up and will neither act nor speak.

But then what about the obvious, sometimes explosive behavior directed outward? It's bullying, and it's all part of the same package. Bullying isn't just a matter of being mean:
     "Research finds that bullies have a distinct psychological makeup. They lack prosocial behavior, are untroubled by anxiety, and do not understand others' feelings. They exhibit a distinctive cognitive feature, a kind of paranoia: They misread the intentions of others, often imputing hostility in neutral situations."¹

In the unpresident's case, bullying is a form of defensive behavior. When he yells at a reporter or reels off a string of insults, he is trying to avoid input. When you see that behavior, the image you should have in your mind is that of a little boy with his fingers in his ears saying bla-bla-bla-bla-bla.

Last episode tomorrow: The Poverty of Intellect.


--- Diogenes, 5/19/20

¹https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/bullying