An Analysis of Donald Trump, and the id of a neurological narcissist
I am going to tell you a story; A story about how a multi-million dollar American businessman named Donald J. Trump, successfully leapt into his business venture: social media.
Before Donald Trump sniffed the inklings of this interactive technology, he was well-known for his wildly successful reality TV show, The Apprentice. Also just as successful, if not more, Trump had his billion-dollar enterprise, Trump Tower and Hotels. Words like luxury, wealth, and almighty power were branches attached to his name — a notion he took much pride in. Hot, blonde bachelorettes gawked for the man with the blonde, wispy hair carefully caressed behind his frumpy ears and leathery carrot like complexion; and just when you though it couldn’t be possible without being illegal, Donald Trump’s wives got younger and younger, as he got older and older — an ironic, Benjamin Button-esque circumstance. Yes, Donald Trump bathed in glory and he was obsessed with it. A narcissist, they say.
But I digress — let’s talk about his speech. Oh man, could that man talk. The amazing paradox between thought and words, emotion and action — Donald Trump behaved (and spoke) much like a the internal psyche of an id. An id, by definition, is a sector of the lobe that is ingrained from instinctive impulse; which is then manifested depending on one’s processing of that impulse. A satisfied appetite at the expense of careless impulse — regardless of what (and who) you sabotage in the process. It’s an open call to feed the narcissistic beast, and remove the ugly baby within ourselves.
That was the enigma of Donald Trump’s psyche explained in simplified terms, and there was no one really like him.
When walking down 5th Avenue in New York City, bold, autocratic and painted gold letters boast— Trump Tower. It’s somewhat of a compulsive promotion — this incessant need to equate power, wealth, and luxury with success. It is this same grandiose pride that Donald Trump confides his narcissistic ego into, and there is no better representation of such than physical type on the front of a looming tower.
It is in this process that Donald Trump has made enemies, or at the very least, caused feuds. You may remember his generous offering of $5 million dollars to a charity of then-President Barack Obama’s choosing in exchange for his college transcript. Or when he insulted Arianna Huffington by brashly refuting, “Unattractive both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man…”
It is these types of brazen comments, the unapologetic need to license his name on tall, brooding infrastructures and social illiteracy that embody Mr. Donald trump. This carnival-like barking is what he (whether intentional or not) asserts himself beside — this “look-at-me!” foolhardy that is similar to a 6th grade bully pushing his classmates off the playground, claiming that it’s his, and his only.
One may mistake Donald Trump for simply being a typical, patriotic American with a New York attitude; And while that may be irrefutable, it is also important to connote his reckless need for validation; a common side effect of an id and now narcissist.
It is important to be aware (and weary) of both. If not, one can get lost in the reality show of Donald Trump and his enigma. Why? Because it is a mechanism of escape and overt amusement for the average person. It is a means of distraction from his or her current state of living and/or political issues at hand. This is particularly imperative when Trumps breed of neurology wishes to campaign for being the President of the United States of America — the wealthiest, most populated and influential country in the world.
Donald Trump running for President of the United States is no recent news, in fact it has been a heavy axiom pushed by Trump himself as early as the 1980’s. The id has found his muse — another casing to latch onto in order to garner validation for his impetuous conundrum. For nearly thirty years, Donald Trump hunted, and attained, his greatest possible achievement in the search for power: the leader of America. And he has strategically carried out this axiom through many mediums — first with novels, television interviews, and most recently, social media.
Through the strategic utilization of Twitter and indulgent editorial television interviews in the morning, afternoon, and night, Trump secured his Presidency. He ceaselessly exposed himself to press conferences, 6am Twitter benders, and live events — and owned it. His boisterous personality was easily-sold to live television and social media outlets alike, attracting tens of thousands viewers and followers. In fact, Trump’s Twitter following during the Pre-Campaign (August 2013) phase was at a measly 2 million but rose to 6 million in his mid-campaign (January 2016). As of April 2017, he is now at a whopping 27.5 million followers.
It is through this selection of media that Donald Trump knew he could command monopoly, versus a political opponent whose communication channels were lacklustre and traditional. This direct channel of communicational strategy established Trump’s campaign for Presidential power. Not only that, but it truly spoke to a particular, yet impressionable and appropriate target audience: the blue-collar Midwest of America.
Speeches about illegal immigration, outsourcing manufacturing, etc., were critical to Trump’s rally cry (and ultimately, voters) through these communication and marketing outlets. He carefully plucked this demographic out, exposed his extreme messaging, and as a result, caught the attention of American’s most value-driven region. And it was a region that depends on lifestyle, cultural perception and mood and employment opportunities. Trump toyed with this and then-some, where he strived to make them feel as if their safety (in all aspects) was being compromised — hence, “Make America Great Again.” Each of these notions and geographical areas were carefully dealt in hands of Trump and his battle for Electoral College votes.
As an additional factor to procure effectivity in his communication channels, Trump employed singular, yet imperative adjectives into the perceptual map of his competitors. Such an example includes “Crooked Hillary” (in reference to then political opponent Hillary Clinton)— all in efforts to solicit emotional reactions from his adversaries, and galvanize potential voters.
Once this process was completed, Trump then positioned himself as the change agent, versus the “dishonest” and “terrible” (in his words) political figures that stood in his way. This is predominantly done through his Twitter profile, where the use of hashtags are centric to executing his message across communication channels. Hashtags include (but are not limited to); #MakeAmericaGreatAgain, #DrainTheSwamp, #CorruptMedia, #CrookedHillary, #MAGA, #TrumpRally, etc., you get the drift.
It is through this type of word buzz that Trump thrives in efforts to engender brand and behavioural loyalty — both his ego and id require it. He carouses with the unpleasantry of the status quo within blue-collared Americans, and practices this daily (especially during the campaign) identity politics.
The methodology behind this strategy is simple. When you push one against a wall hard enough, they instantly become vulnerable and powerless. It is at this moment you truly see a human being for who they really are — how they’ll react, what they’ll say, and whether they choose fight or flight; And if you press on this tenderly-positioned button long enough (and through identity politics), you’ll eventually see the internal science behind them.
This alone can be incredibly dangerous — whether you side on the right, or on the left of politics. Once you’ve used your overweening ego, it is primarily used to conceal something deeper — a self-insecurity from personal shortcomings. Thus, the dissatisfaction of the status quo, banning of refugees and immigrants, and granting war on political adversaries (and now, countries). What was once considered brazen and over-the-top, has substituted itself for bold, impulsive decision-making on potential voter meddling. And what was once an incessant need for validation and attention, has now inflicted it upon a country — resulting in 59 missiles hitting a Syrian war base.
Every id and narcissist spends their time in the glaring sun, but when night falls, what will happen then? How do you react when you’re identity is placed within a political agenda? What are its consequences? How do you resolute to diplomatic decision-making when your political agenda has always ridden itself on yours and yours only?
As Obama always said: Then what? What is the long-term consequence of such impulsive, rash decision-making of the id and narcissist? Will their rally cry with them or against them if backs are against the wall?
This is the breaking point of Donald Trump; a narcissist with behaviour of an id, and now President of the United States of America. Will his already-seen shortcomings in democracy pain him, the entire country, and/or inevitably, the world?
Now is the time to use the communication channels that he ever-so prides his political agenda in.
