Narcissism

 

Of  Sigmund Freud’s many contributions , narcissism was considered ,by him, to be one of his most important findings.  His concept,for example, pertains to love,hate, fear, jealousy, sadism, as well as the understanding of the willingness of the suppressed to show their willingness to their rulers.  Another significant concept  of Freud relates to the trauma of birth and the terror surrounding it. Freud called this event the prototype for all anxiety.  In other words, individuals are subjected and experience anxiety,sometimes of their own making ,throughout their lives based on being born helpless .This disquisition,utilizes these concepts  pertaining to  Trump.

 Freud postulated a primary state of narcissism in which psychic energy was directed inward. With development, that primary state of narcissism became secondary narcissism. In this secondary state became the  capacity for objective reasoning and object love . Psychic energy was now primarily directed  inward  For some,  narcissism becomes pathological and malignant in that it affects the individual's ability to relate to others appropriately.

One of Freud’s primary drives was  the death instinct and sadomasochistic behaviors. Jung added and described man's evil side and believed that it was man’s attempt to compensate for feelings of inferiority, self-hate, guilt and  that  hostility was projected onto others . In other words ,war is called on to  destroy evil . However, war  becomes paradoxical because this actually brings more evil into the world.. And,with war, a scapegoat is needed to blame for starting the war..

With the above,are a few titles of  articles found  in the March 1, 2026 edition of The New York Times pertaining to evil.  U.  S.  Strikes Iran;  Trump Calls for the Overthrow of the Government.; Attack with Aid from Israel, Risks a Broader Conflict.and   Trump's War of Choice, With a Key Question: Why Now ?

The above articles are associated with Trump's narcissism.  He has to constantly  matter  and be the omnipotent hero.. This  “matter” ,on display, absorbs his being and his assertiveness.  His narcissism keeps him in the forefront as being a central  major  figure. It's about him and he's unable to put any reins on his selfish impulses which unconditionally feeds his fragile self-worth.

Trump was a spoiled child.  He was unconditionally  pampered . His wishes ,wants, demands and obnoxious behavior were reinforced when he cried, complained,threatened,  employed guilt , temper tantrums.with poor control of his impulses. He learned to be offensive when anxious and frustrated .And this facilitated magical thinking . He believed his thoughts resulted in that event or situation to turn out because of him being  powerful and omnipotent  Magical thinking also occurs in  dreams ,phantasies and wishing .With the occurrence of magical thinking also follows the expectation that one is to be taken care of and his word becomes the law 

With magical thinking one can view himself in grandiose ways .One can be a fantastic football hero, an emperor, king, and even a  god like president with  fame, fortune and status. Trump’s magical thinking has led  him  to a grossly  inflated sense of self. At times when anxious,,Trump regresses and  becomes that emotionally spoiled child with too much immense power..

Donald was easily able to march into war because neither he nor any family member were not in any way going to be injured or negatively affected. As a young adult, he had 5 deferments. He also called John McCain a coward..Furthermore,  he is incapable of  feeling empathy for our military soldiers injured or dead.. In fact, he recently said regarding the death of a US military man  "It's a very small price to pay." He also projected his cowardice when he said "Show Some Guts” while referring to those oil tanker captains not going through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump acts like a spoiled child in that he's not ashamed at all about what he needs ,wants, even though it brings pain to others .His childlike behavior is also expressed in sibling rivalry  competition with others. Spoiled  children do not become generous socially mature adults .Competitively, he has to be first, to have more and to stand out.  He has to be the one and the  only one . He has to be the favorite one.  He has to be first, and never second, which pertains to his cheating while playing golf , his obsession over Obama’s crowd size and  with the 2020 election results.  He's just unable to allow himself to be second best.  He's the first president to blatantly ignore the Constitution , rule of law, free and fair elections ,discriminate against the free press and  the first to acquire  capital through fraudulent means while in the White House. Also, he considers himself to be the best and greatest president ever and can destroy any opposition.

In his first term as president ,not all of his Cabinet selections were totally submissive as his frequent firings indicated. This time around ,his cabinet members are loyal because they are there to  boost his feelings of worth with their unconditional support and remove the cognitive dissonance regarding his thinking..

Further, he must desperately justify himself.  He must stand out.  He must be the hero, he must be the one that counts. It’s his desire for status. This is evidenced by his renaming the Kennedy Center ,building the biggest ballroom in the White House ,winning the Nobel Peace Prize and having his name placed everywhere. His narcissism is a threat to decency, morality, rule of law and  Democracy.

In conclusion, this anxious and evil narcissist is driven based on insecurity and related to feelings of inferiority and inadequacy   As a result, his hostility to the  pursuit for power, prestige, and possession expresses itself. with tendencies to dominate, humiliate, and to deprive others.  And, his use of  repression as a defense,  interferes with the knowledge that he despises himself, feels weak,  inferior, worthless, evil and shameful.

Reference

Becker,Ernest. The Denial of Death.

Mattering

 

An article titled "The Human Condition"  found in the February 22 ,2026 edition of tTe New York Times is the subject matter of this essay.  A philosophy professor wrote a book titled The Mattering Instinct   How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us She suggests that this” m  attering instinct ‘is the most peculiar , the most human thing about us and that our actions flow from a byproduct of our brains which in turn are constantly preoccupied with devising ways to resist entropy or chaos.

This professor is not the first to philosophize about determinants of conduct.  For example, Socrates suggested that man is guided by the belief that knowledge and virtue are identical .And the right knowing that leads itself to right acting .Knowledge is good and the highest  goal of human life is happiness to be achieved through the activity that is unique to man. And, another  Greek ,Aristippus of Cyrene ,believed that pleasure is the only thing worth striving for. Along with the avoidance of pain.

Turning to psychology with  the importance of the unconscious as a motivating factor, we can more fully understand man’s drives and ego needs  motivations.  In essence, mattering,sex ,knowledge ,pleasure ,pain , affiliation,achievement,dominance are but not limited to other  motivational  aspects within an individual's character orientation.  With that being said, "mattering" can be applied within a narcissistic personality structure and  the blending of character orientations. For example, Willie Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman provides the concept of mattering within both marketing and hoarding character orientations.

Willie was a salesman who traveled ,by automobile,from place to place in the selling capacity. This was his life. As this  occupation was his identity which gave him meaning , mattering and self esteem  relevance. His  job  provided a sense of self esteem incorporating his ability to support  his  wife and two sons, 

Willie was portrayed as being  social, practical, economical, careful, reserved, cautious and loyal.  As time progressed his charm and personality changed as he became less productive as his sales declined.  In fact, his value, importance, relevance and worth declined.  Even though he spent  many loyal years with this company, he was out of a job.

In our capitalistic society. It's the economics of the market that affects man in his development ,self esteem ,worth and  being.  Initially for Willie, the  market was a meeting place , an exchange where he sold and they purchased .It was supply and demand, but that  demand changed.  Willie was once a commodity , it was his experience of self  in which he possessed an exchange value and that exchange value was his identity, his being

Material or financial  success was the personal acceptance by those that needed his wares.  It was his prerequisite for success.  Then over time, Willie could no longer sell himself ,his personality.  He was no longer sellable.  His”personality was no longer in demand . The psychological reality was  that if successful at selling, he was valuable, but if not, he was worthless . In essence, this striving, this relentlessness for success turned into a setback for him, and became a threat to his self-esteem, resulting in feelings of helplessness ,insecurity, and inferiority, which resulted in destroying his dignity and pride.

Within the hoarding orientation is a form of miserliness referring to money , material things, as well as to feelings and thoughts.  Love is essentially possession  and Willie had difficulty loving his wife and boys.This orientation is also characterized by sentimentality . It was about Willie and his elder son's football  past. The past was special, his boy was a star, a hero  that he attempted to hold on too. He indulged in  the memories of those bygone feelings and experiences.

 Tragically, Willie had no expectations, no future goals.  He was approaching the final phase of life with a sense of despair . He was ending life as a total failure. His son Biff was not a hero but also not fulfilled. a failure too . 

Miller portrayed Willie as a man whose self  esteem needs ,his sense of self taking a beating and for a man who is now without a future, without principles, values, anxious, unimaginative, and at loss with no options.  In essence, mattering can be best understood within the narcissism of self  esteem needs ,and the  character orientation of marketing and hoarding.Furthermore, Willie was stuck  without  future hope and severely depressed without integrity and virtue..

Albert Maslow hypothesized a hierarchy of needs, starting with the physiological needs.  Within Maslow's hierarchy were the esteem needs.  These needs represent “the need for a stable, firmly based, usually high evaluation of oneself ,for self-respect or self-esteem and  for the esteem of others."  Within this category was also the” desire for strength, for achievement ,for  adequacy,for mastery and competence, and second, “the desire for reputation or prestige, status, dominance, recognition, attention, importance or appreciation."  The end result is a gratification of these needs brings "feelings of self-confidence, worth ,strength, capability and adequacy." Willie’s self esteem was shattered.

Within narcissism, mattering can be seen within the self esteem need. Mattering is demonstrated  within   one's tension system ,goals, expectations, barriers, thinking, feelings, fear of failure and achievement.  For instance,the origin of mattering motivation occurs within a state of tension. This  tension relates to pursuing an interpersonal, achievement or some other related need.  In pursuing the mastery, pleasure or success of  reaching that mattering  goal one is faced with  internal and external  barriers,restrictions or interferences.  And when it’s more difficult to attain ,it means  there are more barriers and challenges to overcome .

 Goal seeking behavior  also relates to expectations of  success based upon previous experiences of  success or failure. A fear of failure  also has tremendous emotional impact .Furthermore, during the pursuit of goals various ego needs can be met.  For example, when I ran the Western States 100 mile endurance run, my affiliative needs were met. as I trained with others,,had a support system  and engaged with pacers etc. Being an age division winner met my ego needs for both dominance and achievement as well.  Additionally, during that run my ego need for deference was met as  I admired Scott Jurek the first place winner and third place finisher Mark Richtman  With all that being said, “mattering’ was  incorporated within my narcissism and just one aspect of my  or my self esteem and other  ego needs being met along the way..

In conclusion, mattering is an aspect of narcissism, and expressed through self esteem and other  ego needs resulting in various  behaviors.  As far as being a social animal, the existentialists stressed the  significant importance of being authentic.  Freud added that the mentally healthy are able to love and work creatively, artistically, and productivity.  I would add feeling and exhibiting mutuality with concern .empathy and giving

PS.

A diametrically opposed view to "mattering" can be found in the lyrics of the rock band Kansas. “ I close my eyes  Only for a moment and the moment is gone  .  All my dreams    pass before my eyes. ,a curiosity     Dust in the wind    .  All they are is just dust in the wind ……The wind

Reference

Fromm,Erich.Man  For Himself.

Maslow,A.H. Motivation and Personality

Billionaire Exploitation

 

AI is here and its dangers are being exposed by a former technology investor who advises companies and individuals on human A.I.relationships.  The article was found in the February 15, 2026 edition of the New York Times entitled "Well, AI Companions Turn Every Man Into an Island?"My take  addresses the ease in which A.I. exploits human emotional weaknesses .  .

Briefly, the article exposed the belief that  machines  mimic emotional intelligence and  that 72% of American teens have turned to AI for companionship for therapists, coaches and lovers .In other words, humans are being replaced by machines .

With that being said, A.I.companionship is seen as a huge financial gold mine with products that offer” emotional “ intelligence for the easily manipulated consumer . Humans state they're getting empathetic support while becoming addicted, dependent and hooked . The machines keep them engaged with positive reinforcement responses , mask their anxiety and more personal questions resulting in more profit. So much for empathy . These zillionnaires know how to make users  dependent. In fact Mark Zuckerberg said that A.I.can help people who want more friends feel less alone.That’s not the definition for mental health.

Some A.I.platforms create” intimacy,” including erotic content for paid subscribers. Can A.I. provide reasonable safeguards and still make exorbitant profits?  Chat bots have been blamed for acting as fawning echo chambers, guiding  adults down, delusional rabbit holes, assisting struggling teens with suicide and stoking users paranoia  .AI companions are also breaking up marriages  and/or fall in love with bots.

Individuals in product development have become  worried that people would choose the “bot” before seeking out a real person.. Some  engineers rationalize moral and ethical concerns by stating that their direction is based on work investment and in technology . In other words they are afraid to slow down development because that would allow the  competitor to win.What a capitalistic shame.

Many developers are distancing themselves from social and moral responsibility for insisting that these devices are a personal choice  "It would be very arrogant to say companions are bad" Some stated that it  was not their place to judge other attachments even with the erosion of human relationships .Yes for rationalization and no for ethics and morality.

Historically speaking, the prophets believed in one God, whose makeup was centered on truth and justice with a focus  on man's conduct.  The prophets also  made it clear to distinguish between God and idols created by man.  They stressed that God is alive, a living God, while idols are dead.  "Eyes they have, but they see not, they have ears but they do not hear."  

They were against the idea of man making an idol and worshiping that idol, which became superior to him. Man directed his power,energy,control and creation in the making. It left himself poor, and the idol rich and powerful. In fact, the more powerful the idol, the poorer the idolater becomes..

Submitting to the idol interferes and destroys man's inner soul by making himself the idol’s slave or dependent . A loss of the inner self results in loss of freedom,of self and preoccupation produced by that  creation. In fact, Marx, and Hegel called this alienation . Today,  possessions, coveting power, pursuing  consuming goods, seeking honor , fame  and AI are today’s  idols 

Kierkegaard ,Nitschke ,Jaspers ,Heidegger, Camus and others  warned us us that science and technology cannot solve man's existence because the success of science leads to the belief that it could discover the perfect order in nature and the progress would not solve man's problems since man,in part, is irrational and  easily manipulated .It’s the feeling good of technology that’s undermining human connections. And, it is another illustration of man harming himself emotionally and biologically.

 Parenting is a Herculean task and reminds me of the Sisyphus myth. How can any mother  and the caretakers within this complex, contradictory, stressful society consistently and appropriately provide all the necessary emotional supplies in order for her child to develop a healthy personality ?  

That dependent, insecure, fragile , meek ,vulnerable newborn psychologically requires to be fed, held, warmed, moved about, comforted, being lovingly watched over for an inordinate amount of time  as it can not gratify itself. That infant is totally dependent and continually requires aid and assistance from his mother or caretaker .Can that  infant learn to secure the help of his mother and caretakers when in pain, hunger, or other factors that distress him.?

Erickson hypothesized  dialectically about whether  the infant  develops a sense of trust versus a sense of mistrust.during this very important  oral phase. It’ s the quality of mutuality. Essentially what happens during this psychosocial phase leads to expectations that begin with mother , caretakers and  generalize to others in the outside world as well .If negative, it results in a residue of emotional immaturity..Does the baby in this oral phase experience  the warmth of the breast, a synthetic nipple   or the emptiness of a propped bottle? And, does the experience  result in positive degrees of satisfaction and gratification with the outside world  and does it alleviate a sense of discomfort that generalizes away from human contact ? In other words, the emotional  nature of human mutuality is the key to mental health or illness .

Again, it should be noted that early experiences of eliciting care and being cared for determine an individual's emotional development and interpersonal functioning .The outcomes of the interactive effects of all the influences constitutional and experiential impinge on that child.  For example, a parent's inherent warmth is paramount to the caring action.  The warmth is the essential quality of the parents actions, rather than what the parent feels. Also important is that the parents must reward and model the child's desire to become socialized to interact with others. This can not be understated.

 The parents' use of  punishment is perceived by the child as an angry parent and a person to avoid and fear because one wants to avoid expectations of unpleasant consequences. Also of  importance as a child grows older is for him to seek attachments from tactual ,visual, auditory, and oral contacts that can generalize and determine whether or not the dependencies are met. For instance ,how are words ,commands and demands  received ?  Further, when growing older , how did the parents respond to the child's immature emotional tendency for attachment  and  how did they attempt to alter that behavior?  How should  the child seek affection, intimacy,attention  and love from his mother or caretakers  ? Remember, the “correct “response  is based totally on the parents or caretakers point of view.  In other words, parenting can and does highly influence the child's learning of the socialization process and the degree to whether or not it wants to be emotionally  with people or to avoid them ..

These  “ addicted “individuals who have a sense of mistrusting humans in this first  oral stage of development  also have developed a receptive character orientation with this easy comforting, good feeling technology with iron clad expectations of success and trust. It is the primary way to get what they want, whether it is affection, intimacy, knowledge, or pleasures. And it’s from an inorganic source.  To receive is an act of receiving not of giving or being affectionate , being loving or being knowledgeable..They take ,they do not give.  These individuals are also indiscriminate in their choice of an object and are easily seduced because they "fall for" anything that gives them  or  what looks like affection and intimacy .

These individuals  if they have a question or problem , first look to something else to give them that needed information rather than make the  effort on their own.  Thus,these handy devices are more  convenient and easy  than a human. And they are always looking for that "magic helper" which is that electronic device.

As a result,they easily become dependent on the device for any kind of support. The producers of these devices feed on their emotional vulnerability.  They are crippled emotionally and that device is easily preferred over people.  People can be erratic, contradictory, non nonsupportive, aggressive, and so forth.  While this device is consistent ,quick,available  with much needed responses, and in some ways "ideal" for these orally dependent and receptive individuals.

In conclusion, the prophets,Marx,Hegel, the Existentialists,the movies and others  predicted mankind's future . We were warned ! At present, we have alienated individuals characterized by their oral passive ,  emotionally flawed interpersonal personality dynamics with receptive character orientation tendencies..Their personality character orientation development was primarily  based on the identification, modeling , imitation and interpersonal interactions  of their  parents, especially but not exclusively, the mothers and caretakers.. And, with a  capitalistic monarchy, consumer culture,dominated by  good feelings technology with its powerful  intelligent leaders,have  brilliantly devised products that easily addresses and  profitably exploits human  ego needs ,weakness ,vulnerabilities , inadequacies.and pleasure centers in the brain .

Reference

Fromm,Erich . Man For Himself.

Maier, Henry W. Three Theories Of Child Development.

Yesterday

 

Recently I heard and thought about the Beatles song "Yesterday."  Then I saw the movie "Splendor in the Grass."  And currently I'm thinking about the poem "To an Athlete Dying Young" along with Viktor Frankel's “Man's Search for Meaning “These  works of art were written by Paul McCartney, A.E. Housman  and William Wordsworth  and all express  aspects of  human suffering

A few verses in McCartney's song "Yesterday."  Verse 1 Yesterday  All my troubles seemed so far away  Now it looks as though they're here to stay  .  Oh, I believe in yesterday  Verse 2  Suddenly  I'm not half the man I used to be  .  There's a shadow hanging over me. Oh, yesterday suddenly came .  Bridge  Why did she have to go?  I don't know, she wouldn't say   .  I said something wrong  Now I long for yesterday

These lyrics suggest that this person experienced and believed that he had a real romantic and solid connection with a female.  Yet, the fact that she left and wouldn't say why does not suggest a meaningful love relationship.  Mature love without meaningful communication suggests that perhaps their” love” was based on infatuation .So much for illusions. His suffering was likely based on his unmet dependency needs  and loss. Separation and loss is difficult and associated with suffering..lonliness, anxiety and/or depression..

In the Splendor in the Grass movie ,the main characters were Natalie Wood (Wilma) and Warren Beatty (Bud).  These two high school aged individuals were depicted romantically.  Wilma was told by her mother to be a good girl  by not “ going all the way” because that would ruin her for life.  Wilma was conflicted and when Bud broke off the relationship.,she became depressed and made a suicide gesture.  She was hospitalized and met a physician-patient.  He left to start a practice in Cincinnati and upon her release they planned to marry.  Before leaving for Cincinnati, she visited Bud.

Bud , the high school football hero also wanted to have sex but  was told by his wealthy  father to have sex with another girl ;go to Yale and then come back and marry Wilma .The depressed football hero wanted to marry Wilma and become  a farmer now ,not later . However he also obeyed his parents and attended  college,where he flunked out. He met a girl there, brought her back home ,and started a family on the farm during the depression. By the way, Bud’s father jumped out of a window in New York as he lost all of his wealth.

The movie portrays the teenage  past as being a very special time with the active libidos of adolescence searching for their  identities. Developmentally, they were not emotionally ready to proceed to Erikson’s next psychosocial stage -Intimacy vs. isolation . In essence, these two teenagers were infatuated with each other as opposed to experiencing a mature love. We find Bud's current situation overshadowed by the hard times during the depression and Wilma’ on the path of finding a mature  love. Both experienced joy,  emotional highs, strong sexual urges ,friendship ,fun, competition and suffering during the troubling time of their  adolescent years .

Before leaving for Cincinnati.  Wilma visited a married Bud , a farmer, and with a young son and a pregnant wife .  This was Bud's reality.  Wilma, on the other hand, was off to meet her future husband.  Thus, both Wilma and Bud’s identities were suspect  . Their “love” was not mature as they easily and quickly found replacements . We do not know much about Wima nor the young farmer’s ability to be a father and provider . And,  in their history both experienced a crush, an attachment , loss and misery .

This culture places too much emphasis on youth and beauty.  The  cliché, "it's all downhill after high school"  is foolish, illogical and not at all correct.  After high school, brain size ,intelligence and physique  increased ;played college football; taught junior high English and became a junior high counselor; was an assistant professor at a community college and university; was a licensed and practicing independent psychologist; became one of four individuals to complete the 100 mile Tevis Cup, Western States 100  age division  winner and  winner of the100 mile Ride and Tie; published two books; wrote 14 years of weekly essays; met a preponderance of good character, male and female friends; maintained long-term high school friendships and began a union with Linda are just some of the wonderful experiences experienced. There was also misery with loss of parents, family members, friends and friendships.

 

In Housman's poem, there was a young athlete that received all types of glory from the town.  He was a hero, they cheered, they carried him home on their shoulders and yet he died early.  So one's early years can be  described as outstanding ,exciting and achievement at a high level. However, is glory and fame short lived ?

OJ comes to mind.  This all-American All-Pro was at the top of his game until he became seriously injured and could not perform.  The superstar then went into the movies, made commercials and married an extremely beautiful woman.  Yet this troubled soul was insecure, and succumbed to his jealousy and more than likely murdered his wife and her friend.  And things went downhill from there.  He was never again that all-American boy. With his downfall , his glory ended and misery had to do with him and only him.

More recently Alysa Liu the 20-year-old female from Oakland won the figure skating gold medal in the Olympics.  At the moment she is just one of seven other American women ever to win that Olympic gold.  She's attractive, vivacious, and an outstanding skater who had earlier retired.  But then reentered the competition. She stated her retirement was about wanting to be a teenager and do things that teenagers experience and that can only be done by stepping away from the misery of being controlled and being a prisoner to the sport.  Her misery was cut short as she reentered training shortly thereafter , competed and won. Her story is continuing.

Just think of all the  fame, popularity , glory and wealth of Elvis ,Michael ,Whitney,Jim Morrison and other entertainers.  On the surface they seemed to be on top of the world and so happy when performing. Yet ,their misery was "hidden" from the public .And their decision to revert to drugs was self-destructive for each. Thus, suicide ended the misery for each.For them, fame,poularity ,glory and wealth did not address or compensate for  their emotional weaknesses. 

Dr. Frankel, a psychiatrist, discovered and modified Logotherapy, which was his version of modern existential analysis, while in a Nazi concentration camp.  His work therapeutically was with many in the dire and miserable conditions they faced . Many of these individuals  had illustrious ,prodigious  and outstanding professional  careers prior. Now, they were  prisoners, many of which had difficulty coping with all their  misery, pain, loss  and misfortune .

Briefly. Dr. Frankel worked with “patients” applying  Logotherapy . His treatment helped the survivors find meaning ,values and take responsibility moment to moment with the misery they were experiencing . And, it did not  necessarily help to focus on past glory or achievements.  The present and the future were keys for their survival. The men without a future goal found it difficult to survive and man had  to focus on being meaningful and purposeful while not giving up.  The past can be associated with decay, death and illness or many positives and yet man has to look inside for his inner strength in the present while looking towards the future. 

And as Nitschke said, "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how."And, when running Western StatesI had to continuously  remind myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Essentially, it's important for man not to remain in the state of homeostasis.  For survival, man needs to create tension systems, which encompasses striving to facilitate  goal achievement.  In doing so, one uses his mind to assess the project, plan, contemplate barriers and think about strategies and expectations for success.  In other words, one's mind is used productively and creatively which is called thinking realistically  which is necessary and important for man’ s wellbeing .

Generally speaking,  youth biologically and  developmentally speaking  does not remain constant.  That does not mean psychologically that feelings,desires,passion ,libido and goals, no longer exist.  By the same token, being human means experiencing at times distress ,discomforts,unhappiness and hardship as misery and suffering are basic conditions of existence..  For instance, in my first book, "It Has Nothing to Do with Age," I interviewed seven extraordinary human beings who were 65 years of age or older and were still competing in extraordinary sports.  Every one of those male and females experienced achievement, optimism, glory, and the wonders of life as well as dealing with their own feelings of hardship, anxiety, grief  sadness.and misery  Further, the same could be said of the nine University of Michigan football players in my second book, "Bo' s Warriors."Human beings can not escape ,at times, the human condition of feelings of misery .

Developmentally, life does not  begin nor end during the stage of adolescence.  This is only one of the stages that we experience joy,lust, friendship, belonging, and achievement. Today, while working out at  Ironworks, a young man, a personal trainer ,asked me about my age.  After I told him my age, he said that when he would be thinking about whether or not to go to the gym for a workout, he would think of me and get his ass off the couch.

Obedience or Resistance

 

Humans have been around for about 2.5 million years and subsequently philosophers have described man’s motivations. With that being said, this essay  focuses on  three significant motivational principles within that history .These behaviors are submission, power and resistance. Within  the past 12,000 years and the onset of the agricultural revolution, these  behaviors have been more clearly identified and described.  And today, in our Republic, we are experiencing the implications of submission,power and resistance with an authoritarian ruler.

Prehistoric humans survived by forming small groups that coexisted by reproducing ,hunting and gathering .Within the group, there was a physically wise and strong patriarchal  leader and ruler . But ,there also was  a competitive striving to overtake the leader, usually by his young "offspring."  Therefore, power, submission and resistance became the norm .

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About 12,000 years ago we had the agricultural revolution.  And with that, resulted in the  making of tools,  domestication of plants and animals along with more "permanent" settlements . With the making of tools and containers and the working of the land,  more  production  resulted along with the  storing of the fruits of their labor.That resulted in larger concentrations of  power,control, possession, competition and "slave" labor that was accompanied by laws, rules, regulations protecting the interests of the powerful. Societal division developed into patriarchal kingdoms, empires with again the few powerful versus the obedient rest.

Roughly 5,000 years ago, the powerful Pharaoh  Ramsey dominated and exploited the Hebrew slaves.  And it took Moses with the power of God behind him that allowed the slaves to exit and flee from the power of Ramsey.  The Hebrews wandered in the desert for 40 years ,submitted to God and then resisted by making idols. That idolatry  was crushed and the Hebrews, but not Moses, were eventually able to find the promised land.  Power , submission and resistance, resulting in freedom is the theme of the Passover tale.

Turning again to the Old Testament provides us with  another example of patriarchal  power, submission and resistance.  The one and only God was most powerful as he created everything in seven "days."  Adam and Eve were obliged to succumb to God's powers as he created them.  But, what  they did do in the Garden of Eden was bite into the Apple-it was resistance.  However, in the New Testament, their take ,on the story, was that this  disobedience  was considered a sin.  And importantly ,Jesus was disobedient too. Further, in Christianity, man does not” die “ if he submits  because then his soul becomes immortal.

The prophets, in their messianic concept, supported the idea that man has a right to disobey and that it was not a sin because it allowed man to become more  free to develop his sense of being . Also,in the Greek myth Prometheus, we find another example of disobedience and  punishment for stealing the fire from the gods.  "I would rather be chained to this rock than to be an obedient servant of the gods. And,In essence, Marx called Prometheus  the patriot  saint of all philosophers in history .However,,the powerful minority  calls obedience  a virtue  and  disobedience a sin  which is necessary to control and stay in power ..

From another religious perspective,Luther and Calvin disobeyed  and at the same time upheld the power of the authority of God. But, the philosophy of the Enlightenment was  centered on faith and reason ,and to doubt everything, which is said or thought as it's based on tradition, superstition, custom and power.  The principles were "Dare to be wise" and of all, one must doubt."

From a psychological point of view,Sigmund Freud and Otto Rank described and postulated  the birth trauma dynamics .  Biologically speaking, the newborn is weak, fragile, and totally dependent on another for survival.  Thus, we have power , reliance  and submission from the start.  Freud went on to explain, employing the superego, the power ,subservient relationship between the patriarchal authoritarian  father and child during development, in which  the child incorporates ,identifies and transfers attitudes ,commands ,rules ,regulations of that powerful, omnipotent .The young learn quickly that obedience  becomes a necessary. component to receive  love and protection.

Rank also provided ,in depth , the consequences of  separation  with the pursuit of independence  associated with that dynamic . He described the resistance and disobedience between parent and child that occurs  especially during adolescence. Rank’s” Will”  exemplifies  the importance of this motivational power within  the personality . The Will is essentially an active and necessary relationship with himself and his world .It's his Will that expresses itself against the  opposing Will of  the parents which becomes the center of conflict ,submission and resistance ... 

There are numerous historical examples of power ,submission and resistance.  A few of those  Authoritarian figures come to mind include Alexander the Great ,Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Henry VIII ,Louis XIV ,Napoleon, Romanov ,Stalin,  Hitler and the revolutions- French and  Russian, 

On the other hand, the following are just a few illustrations of figures associated with opposition  to authoritarian rule . .They include ,but not limited to Socrates, Galileo, Abelard ,Spinoza ,Marx,Lenin, Trotsky, Hobbes,Rousseau , Gandhi and Schweitzer  In fact, when Nitschke said that God is dead suggested that it is no longer necessary to follow God's commandments because now everything is permitted since all previous morality was based on belief in God, 

In our history, our loyal subjects disobeyed  King George.  In fact, this oppositionalism was deeply  felt by Benjamin Franklin as his son chose his loyalty and submission to the King thus  rupturing their  relationship . Although the rebellious Founding Fathers talked about not wanting to be ruled by a king, they created a constitution that favored the well to do and was far from being bulletproof.  Even the amendments to the Constitution are subject to interpretation and misinterpretation by those seeking power.  Did the founding fathers forget or ignore the history of authoritarians ; the fact that humans are easily duped ,follow and become faithful, obedient and submissive to a powerful leader  that has powerful friends; with an absence of moral principles and that the Constitution can not enforce tyranny ? Were some of these "fathers" either naïve or acting on their own authoritarian superego?

The Civil War was an act of disobedience that took many lives, including Lincolns. In the 1920s there were a number of attempted assassinations, political violence ,barriers to immigration ,  deportations , government crackdown on dissenting speech  and health measure dissent  pertaining to the flu epidemic .  We also had staggering levels of economic inequality as well as the press warning us of the crisis of disinformation.  The collective action  with resistance also  included  the formation of industrial unions, creation of the ACLU and NAACP  

And in 2020 we had the Trump resistance. In response to Trump since last year, we've had a number of resistances that include but are not limited to 1.  Some of the largest street protests in American history 2.  Wisconsin Supreme Court race in April.  3.  Republican dominated legislature in Indiana, refusing to withdraw state congressional maps.  4.  No Kings protests 5.  Jimmy Kimmel's return 6.  Two grand juries refusing to indict Letitia James and Sean Dunn 7.  Chicago  protests 8.  Minneapolis protests  9.  Recent election victories  in red Louisiana and Texas 10. A number of positive judicial decisions. 

A few concluding points: 1.  The poor hate the rich and the rich hate the poor 2.  Within a capitalistic system ,what's good for industry.and the economy is profit which does not trickle down 3.  Progress is often associated with the expense of others.  4.  Luxury is no less evil than poverty.  5.  Technology is becoming our new "God" but without moral principles.  6.  The religion of technology is unlimited with instant gratification.  7.  Authoritarians do not act on the behalf of love, justice, or God.  8.  Authoritarians fear loss of power and keep the masses crippled, making it hard for them to strike back as the week cannot fight effectively. 9.Authoritarians  do not succeed with justice and equality 10. Authoritarians make “slaves “ with loss of power and reason 

In summation, there's a preponderance of evil and stupidity found in man as well as trust versus mistrust ,and belief versus disbelief issues .  There is also irrational authority which is obedience to an authoritarian versus obedience to a rational authority as exemplified in student-teacher relationships with obviously different goals .  There's rebellion, which is simply acting out aggression and hate as exemplified in the January 6 attack on the capital.  Rebellion has nothing to do with patriotism but unresolved psychological issues. On the other hand,protest and resistance are acts of affirmation, reason and will . It’s about the reality of seeing what man sees and refusing to  say what he does not see . And ,once again it's about thought and not about fear that cherished beliefs should prove delusional ..Do not forget that with authoritarian minority rule, obedience is rooted in fear,innumerable avenues of escape, and uniformity .Now is the time to  have faith, resolve  and fight for democracy.

PS

Social psychologist Stanley Milgram's experiments demonstrated a conforming sickness associated with obedience.

Reference

Fromm, Erich.  On Disobedience.

Freud Part 2

 Taking into account Freud's powerfully insightful motivational concepts ,I turn to a shortened version of Trump beginning with his Apprentice, a TV series that ran from 2004 through 2017 and was created by Mark Burnett and him.A perfect fit for the narcissist.  Contestants on the show competed for a job as an apprentice to the fictitious “ billionaire “ Donald Trump.  The show was billed as "The Ultimate Job Interview".  The setting was the Trump tower in Manhattan and it was staged as a penthouse suite and at some point , candidates were shown the suite.  However, in reality, the suite , the boardroom and its elevator lobby  were all manufactured built sets within the tower and all on the same floor .Pure  illusion ,fabrication , fiction  and fraud.

The "billionaire" actor  was portrayed as a highly successful business superstar living in a luxurious  lifestyle.  He was friendly, all-knowing, wise, personable ,admired,and just like King Solomon.  He had unlimited power, superfluous and exorbitant  possessions and inordinate excessive status.  He was the personification of a superstar.  His power was projected when the show's episode ended with him eliminating one contestant from the competition with the words, "You're fired!" Trump's popularity was aided by the term Trumponomics which conveyed the notion " that impressing the boss was the only way to climb the corporate ladder."Trump  sharpened his marketing persona and became an excellent actor  selling his brand. 

The series frequently featured and promoted Trump's properties, products and himself .  His wife was also featured on the series  which included her fashion and cosmetic products.  In other words, the  super colossal marketing actor  was second to none and projected the mythology , fiction and illusion of this charismatic  man as larger than life as a Herculean of success .

Was Donald's rhetoric and behavior regarding the 2020 presidential election, suggestive  of a  number of defense mechanisms or was he conscious of his lies ?  A few of his advisors told him that he lost the election and the 60 lawsuits that were filed on his behalf  were also consonant with that  reality . According to Jack Smith’s criminal  investigation, Trump was both overtly and covertly involved to overthrow the election results and to reject the peaceful transfer of power. Therefore it's safe to say that Trump was likely conscious of  much of his lying but not his underlying dynamics .As a result, his aggressive lying behaviors  are associated with  a number of non observable crises related to  earlier threats . In other words, Trump was clearly conscious of his lying about the 2020 election but likely not fully aware of all of his repressed affects,ideas or impulses .Actually, he presents himself as an angry individual which suggests his inability to understand his motivations (repression and resistance ) and  to confront effectively his underlying anxiety and fears.

Trump's conscious mind might  believe in the slogan MAGA-; America's greatness and vitality.  Although MAGA may be defined as pertaining to a  white America.  However,Trump tells his followers that he loves them.  But, on one TV interview he told the interviewer that he grabs them by the ..and gets away with it.  Also,  he was  convicted of sexually assaulting E Jean Caroll and was good friends with Jeffrey Epstein. Trump’s” love “ for females can be characterized as domination , possession and sadomasochism .

 Trump's unconscious mind presents a picture of his  so-called “love” for others and is  an example of repression.  His policies include but are not limited to the following :1.  Imposing tariffs or taxes to be paid by most Americans.  2.  Eliminating foreign aid 3.  His big beautiful bill resulted in millions of Americans paying excessive amounts for healthcare, making it unaffordable.4.  Murdering and bombing foreigners in or around Venezuela, Iran, Yemen, Somalia,Nigeria etc. 5.  Withholding aid to Ukraine 6.  Condoning two recent murders in Minneapolis by ICE 7.  Threatening to take over Venezuela, Greenland, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, etc. 8.  Bringing lawsuits against universities,  law firms, newspapers 9.  Verbally attacking  journalists, calling them stupid, and so forth. .  10.  Threatening NATO  and our allies. 11. Placed Kennedy Jr . in charge of Health and Human Services . And , this sociopathic  hateful narcissist  wanted the Nobel Prize for peace?  

Trump's unconscious displays and correctly presents his  marketing orientation and character-a deeply prejudiced ,angry, hateful and morally bankrupt  sadistic human being.  Remember, words are just words.  And it's  actions that more accurately, describe  one's true being . He is his policies . 

 The fact that Trump’s tariffs ,a big beautiful bill that rewards the megarich but is disastrous for the welfare and healthcare of so many, along  with enabling Musk to  incorporate severe ,disastrous effects to the federal government hide or mask, in his mind only ,his sadistic hate and cruelty. He denies that these policies are negative and hateful but are  acted out of cruelty and exist in his unconscious mind.  It's as if the blood or filth on his hands can be washed away  by  his continually washing his hands which is symbolically, an attempt to free himself from his crimes.  Trump admits and claims that he has good intentions and talks about the economy being good ; he's created jobs; he's controlled inflation;these illegal aliens are criminal, despicable, and he’s the best president ever. It’s his narcissistic reality .

It was Trump the charismatic  marketing  almighty authoritarian and persuasive oligarch  that came to the rescue and people transferred their expectations, and perceived him through distorted glasses.  They denied and rationalized  his negative actions , character flaws, being a convicted felon and chose only to see, perceive  and act on the illusion that was  actually born out of their past.

 The opinions  from a recent poll are as follows regarding his unfavorability and favorability 1.  42.  Versus 56%.  How he's  managing the federal government 2.  40 versus 58% handling immigration 3.  40 versus 58% regarding the economy.  4.  37 versus 54% handling the cost of living.  5.  37 versus 54% Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  6.  34 versus 64% cost-of-living 7.  34 versus 58% Russia versus Ukraine and  8.A  22 % favorability versus 66% regarding the Epstein files.. A poll is only an opinion at the time taken. We need more than an opinion for change,, we require a conviction

In conclusion, from a psychological , moral ,humanistic and ethical perspective,  to hire and support  inept ,unskilled ,nonqualified, limited education, with  sadomasochistic  psychological issues  for ICE ,fits this authoritarian regime . The financial incentives are intended to attract these distasteful

 Individuals; with a job description of immunity ;  with bullish ,brutal, aggressive behavior toward  people irrespective of citizenship . These factors exemplify the sadistic character orientation of these hires. Authoritarian regimes ,with their power, promote control and require obedience  at all costs. Enough is enough . It's time for Trump’s base  to learn and understand their motivations and become able to distinguish between myth, illusion ,fiction and reality for things to  meaningfully  change . Our republic is headed toward the direction of the point of no return .All forms of resistance is necessary  and is the only option for our  republic  to survive  this threat 

Reference

American Psychiatric Association. A psychiatric Glossary.

Monroe, Ruth L.  Schools Of Psychoanalytic  Thought…

Freud Part 1

 

Sigmund Freud provided us with a psychodynamic  understanding of man.  The following post applies Freud’s motivational postulates of repression, resistance and transference  to explain some of  Trump’s behavior  . 

Repression is an unconscious  defensive mechanism  that banishes unacceptable ideas, affects ,impulses from consciousness and keeps them out of consciousness. And,  repressed material may emerge in a disguised form while in a state of consciousness.It’s the  anxiety  that causes repression because it's a  signal of potential danger to which  the ego tries to avoid. 

The young child developmentally , does not have  the necessary "means" (ego) to deal with complex and scary psychological issues like the oedipal complex.  As a result, those primitive defense mechanisms and methods of  dealing with emotional pain become institutionalized as unconscious  defense mechanisms . In a sense it's not surprising that ,when an adult, the individual doesn't remember those early conflictual and hazardous emotional events.  But, they are  expressed in dreams, myths, delusions   and symptoms with  modifications. 

 The mechanism of repression ,with its early frustrations,conflicts  and gratifications ,remains throughout  lifetime . .It's not unusual for  an adult to direct anger at an  individual, even though they are not angry with them.  For example, a reporter asking Trump an Epstein  question  receives an inappropriate  aggressive response like "you're stupid “ is an overreaction and likely related to  infantile conflicts.not  realized. And, were the ICE characters so emotionally angry with hate  with  Renee and   Alex  that they  just had  no other options but murder ?  Their was no shame or remorse but immunity.      

 The second concept is resistance. It’s  an individual's unconscious psychological defense against bringing repressed unconscious thoughts or impulses to consciousness. Simply  , everyone’s a psychologist as far as explaining  self or other people's motivations. With that being said, resistance is a refusal  of the individual to interpret his behavior  and motives correctly. With resistance,one's motivational  arguments are absurd and shallow in the interest of keeping one's self convinced of perhaps  the belief they are intelligent, righteous, perfect , good and   moral. However, in doing so, one actually  omits many  reality and contradictory items. I recently heard  that a Trump supporter does not like him but likes his policies.That response is an example of the individual not admitting he shares a similar character orientation with Trump, the narcissistic authoritarian, which is  to obey, submit, and exploit others(power).

 Developmentally, with origins in childhood ,the immature ego begins  establishing  primitive defense mechanisms to mask  pain , non gratification of impulses and desires that become established and then consequently employed during the  life span. As an adult, the multifaceted behavioral and motivational issues  and responses are irrational along with both  the behavior and thinking being resistant to  acknowledge reality and change . For instance,  repression and resistance  can be exhibited like when the  pursuit of power, possession, status and  domination  become significant character orientations  These emotional and behavioral expressions are the ego’s attempt to mask’repressionand the resistance to acknowledge the unconscious  feelings of inferiority,inadequacy and weaknesses . It's the ego’s battle against  the disaster of having to face the fact that  reality and repression and resistance are those protections.

Therapeutically, it was Freud's attempt for his patients  to become more fully aware of their  motives and emotional conflicts and actions so they could resolve their issues  and know themselves  . Freud  found that it was extremely  difficult for his patients to become aware of the workings in the unconscious as they had difficulty incorporating their troubling  reality .And in essence  created  and established fiction regarding their self image . It’s no surprise that Trump has to surround himself with “yes’ men to reinforce his contradictory  narcissistic beliefs and illusions in order to prop up  his fragile ego. These “yes” men are not his  friends .However, he desperately requires their loyalty to feel strong and powerful. 

A typical reaction of resistance is anger, rage , threats, and aggression when Trump hears what he  does  not want to hear.  He responds with hate and anger . Trump can't  “personally” l  or  physically act  out his anger. So  he  blows up and responds with  “They hate me”, “They're out to get me,” “They're conducting a witch hunt” and recently in response to Jack's Smith’s congressional testimony, a Trump tweet "Jack is a deranged animal.... He should not be allowed to practice the law...... the whole thing was a Democratic scam..... For what they put our country through."  There are numerous reactionary tweets that follow from what he's heard on television whether it's a comedian, TV commentator, journalists and especially from former members of his cabinet.. His nasty words are typical , common and define what’s going on within his unconscious mind. He is unable to ignore any negative about himself. And, he’s unable to coherently answer a question pertaining to Epstein without attacking the reporter.

Transference, the third concept, is when  there's a  conscious assignment  or incorporation to others' feelings and attitudes that were originally associated with important  early childhood figures . The transference  object could be related to one's parents, siblings, mythological, religious,political,  sports , entertainment figures  and so forth.  Essentially it's attributing either or both "godlike" or “devillike’  characteristics ,features, quirks, prejudices, animosities and obviously not an objective judgment at all . It’s based on emotional  aspects occurring in  those early childhood experiences.  It's a reliving of the past and rooted in the unconscious  .Further, these buried feelings become available, making the person extremely available to manipulation, blind loyalty with submission .

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Again, with transference, the danger, the anxiety   becomes a distortion of reality that’s difficult to understand and/or dislodge.The wild enthusiasm was evident in the 2024 election with the millions that voted for Trump.  The response of these voters was a deep longing for someone to save them in this anxiety uncertain  world, to speak the truth, make our country safe and  take care of our economic inequities.  Trump , the actor, came along and played the part again with all his promises as he was the only one to fix things -MAG, an idolization of a white dominated past.Submit to him and his power will be the savior. He’s this well-meaning leader. These voters transferred their expectations  to him and were convinced that he was their magic helper,their savior and redeemer.  He's the one that would close the boarder, deport  the illegal criminals and restrict immigration, silence the  dems , release the Epstein files and end all wars on day one ..Trump was a skillful manipulator,he told them what they wanted to hear,  pandered to them,ignored the truth and was able to turn human gullibility to his advantage .Power ,and  eagerness to submit  exemplifies  the transference to an authoritarian.

To be continued.