Personality flaws putting Americans at risk

David Corn
DAVID CORN
Washington, DC, Bureau Chief

... For a narcissist, the most immediate personal need is the most important one. So Trump viewed the burgeoning crisis as a threat to him, not the nation, and he took the steps he usually does in so many circumstances: He denied the threat, claimed he knew better than the experts, and relied on bluster and BS. He did all that instead of adopting early measures that could have slowed the transmission of the virus.

But beyond the narcissism, two other fundamental elements of Trump’s character are likely shaping his response: his obsession with revenge and his sense of fatalism ...

Trump has long acknowledged his love affair with revenge. Before Trump ran for president, he often gave speeches sharing the supposed secrets to his success ... In 2011, he told the National Achievers Congress in Sydney ... “Get even with people. If they screw you, screw them back 10 times as hard. I really believe that” ...

... Trump has also exhibited a troubling fatalism ...

Trump asserts he is a “wartime president.” But an effective commander in chief at war needs to possess certain qualities. He must be able to put national interests ahead of his own. He must unite a nation and transcend political rivalries. He must motivate the citizenry and inspire bravery, resilience, and hope. A narcissist fixated on revenge who holds a dark and apocalyptic view of the future is not the man for the job ...

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/03/beyond-narcissism-trumps-other-personality-flaws-are-putting-americans-at-risk/