Read on Twitter
I used to talk a lot about Trump’s narcissism. It is a hardwired thing. A separate operating system unlike ours. He is incapable of doing anything but what his primitive wiring demands.
Sometimes that is counterintuitive to what people expect who see only the behaviors.
1/
Sometimes that is counterintuitive to what people expect who see only the behaviors.
1/
The surface-level view would suggest Trump will wake up and rage at his tweet being black-boxed.
He will not.
Trump, like all narcissists rage most at a public shaming they see coming and can’t avoid.
2/
He will not.
Trump, like all narcissists rage most at a public shaming they see coming and can’t avoid.
2/
Trump raged at the disclaimers on his voting tweets because it signaled he was powerless to avoid future embarrassment.
His tweets give him a sense of power. The prospect of an embarrassing demerit on any future tweet renders him helpless against another party’s shaming.
3/
His tweets give him a sense of power. The prospect of an embarrassing demerit on any future tweet renders him helpless against another party’s shaming.
3/
Trump feels no shame. He has no conscience. He cares not about right or wrong. He cares only about how he is seen by others.
He has no internal life.
He is like a laptop with no battery. He has to be plugged in to function.
4/
He has no internal life.
He is like a laptop with no battery. He has to be plugged in to function.
4/
And the thing he needs from that source is borrowed self-esteem. He needs others admiration and esteem.
Being seen as shameful shames him. It is excruciating.
Things that label him as worthy of contempt or criticism hurt him.
5/
Being seen as shameful shames him. It is excruciating.
Things that label him as worthy of contempt or criticism hurt him.
5/
When he sees them coming but can’t avoid them, he rages.
When they arrive, he collapses in a heap and slinks off to nurse his wounds.
6/
When they arrive, he collapses in a heap and slinks off to nurse his wounds.
6/
Twitter slapping a black box on his tweet is an irremovable public rebuke.
It is a public notice that he deserves contempt for his conduct.
He can’t play that to a tie. He can’t fight it out and hope to change minds. The shaming hurts too much.
7/
It is a public notice that he deserves contempt for his conduct.
He can’t play that to a tie. He can’t fight it out and hope to change minds. The shaming hurts too much.
7/
His only choice is to run from it.
So, he’ll try to walk it back. Reframe what he said. Insist he didn’t mean it the way “people took it.”
He’ll try to claim that what he actually meant was something quite okay.
And then he’ll over correct...
8/
So, he’ll try to walk it back. Reframe what he said. Insist he didn’t mean it the way “people took it.”
He’ll try to claim that what he actually meant was something quite okay.
And then he’ll over correct...
8/
And try to make a strong statement in the other direction.
He got shamed for appearing to authorize murder of protestors for property crimes.
So now he’ll pretend to be outraged at some authority for not peacefully protecting the peace.
9/
He got shamed for appearing to authorize murder of protestors for property crimes.
So now he’ll pretend to be outraged at some authority for not peacefully protecting the peace.
9/
Trump is a coward. He is a weakling servile to primitive wiring.
He exists solely to serve the master of his broken self-esteem.
Today, that master will make him try to get out from under what he said when people expect him to double down.
He won’t. Bet you a beer on it.
//
He exists solely to serve the master of his broken self-esteem.
Today, that master will make him try to get out from under what he said when people expect him to double down.
He won’t. Bet you a beer on it.
//
Right on cue:
Trump tries to change the subject, deflect.
“Someone else is worse. Everyone, look at that...”
Narcissists are cowards. They rage at the prospect someone might stand up to them.
Trump tries to change the subject, deflect.
“Someone else is worse. Everyone, look at that...”
Narcissists are cowards. They rage at the prospect someone might stand up to them.
They then try to undercut them once they have stood up to them because they can’t face them head on about their own behavior.
And FWIW, this tweet may well have been written earlier or by someone else.
Reads more like a canned leftover from yesterday than a morning thought.
And FWIW, this tweet may well have been written earlier or by someone else.
Reads more like a canned leftover from yesterday than a morning thought.
