The magical thinking it takes to believe Trump is fit for the presidency
If you are not supportive of the following sentiments, please keep in mind that they are more temperate than those of Newt Gingrich, Lindsey Graham and Paul Ryan.
Is there a magic Fitbit that could help us gauge Donald Trump’s fitness to be president? In the midst of attacks on the judge assigned to his Trump University fraud case, many leading Republicans believe he must change his words if he is to demonstrate presidential temperament. Here is where the magic comes in. Is a man we have watched closely for nearly a year – one who has shown remarkable consistency in his belligerence and narcissism – able to truly change himself as he reaches his 70th birthday?
Or is it more likely that he will continue with the attributes he believes have led to his success and will propel him to the White House?
People who study human behavior would argue we should expect more of the same.
Trump, it seems to me, has such an abiding self-love that he has trouble getting out of his own way. He is only following his instincts in believing that anyone who obstructs his “winning” is ultimately a loser.
Don McAdams, a psychology professor and expert in personality development, has looked in depth at those aspects of Trump’s persona that will inform his decision making if he becomes leader of the free world. Like every one of us, McAdams says, Donald puts on a social performance aimed at bringing him success and approval. Unlike most of us, however, Donald knows he is under perpetual observation and so is never off stage, even when shaving or tweeting at 3 a.m.
The five biggest dimensions of personality are extroversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness. Large teams of experts have ranked our presidents using this scale. Keying off this approach, McAdams looked at where Trump fits in. Not surprisingly, throughout his lifetime he has shown high extroversion, a positive quality, along with far below normal agreeableness.
Reward seeking, often to the exclusion of other goals, characterizes the narcissist. The rewards sought are usually self-oriented. To me, this suggests that for Trump, there is a virtual equivalence between making Trump great again and making America great again. Would it occur to him that there may be a difference? Confronted with such a conflict, how would he respond?
Since his days as a young tough in Queens, disagreeableness has been a constant element in Trump’s character. Is there even a possibility that he will abandon that trait to seem more presidential?
People with low levels of openness – like Trump – are not given to examining their innermost thoughts and beliefs. Unanticipated world events will confront a President Trump with situations not encountered in real estate negotiations. Will he show the critical thinking skills, the flexibility and the depth of understanding required to pursue a reasonable outcome? For example, if a friendless and inept North Korea shoots a nuclear missile in our direction (let’s say it misses) will he consider a measured response to avert a world war?
Many Trump supporters recognize his unstable temperament. However, they comfort themselves by believing that he will have the assistance of wise advisers who steer him in moderate directions. This belief fails to recognize that the final decision is his alone.
A magic Fitbit could wirelessly read Donald’s thoughts as he ambles around the White House. It could broadcast alerts to his chief of staff, who, in turn, passes the most dangerous to cabinet secretaries. It might even bring down from the ceiling a steel cage to encircle him if he seems about to fly over the cuckoo’s nest. A computer-actuated tranquillizer dart should be considered.
If Trump is elected, people who are angry about almost everything will be gratified. Though there is a possibility the world would survive, it is by no means certain. Maybe what we really need is a second generation magic Fitbit that could whisper rational thoughts in his ear in a way that persuades him that they are products of his prodigious intellect. Now there’s some magic to make him a bit more fit.
The writer lives in Pawleys Island.
This story was originally published June 26, 2016 at 8:42 AM with the headline "The magical thinking it takes to believe Trump is fit for the presidency."