A Psychologist's Open Letter to U.S. Voters

[applegrove]

A Psychologist's Open Letter to U.S. Voters

by Craig Malkin, PhD at Psychology Today

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/romance-redux/201509/psychologists-open-letter-us-voters

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1. Do applaud careful reflection. Please, for all our sakes, stop making politicians worried, on either side, that changing their minds when they have new information will be viewed as a weakness. Ditch the reflexive and empty attacks on people for "flip-flopping." When someone gives careful reasoning behind changing their position, it's not weakness; it's strength. It's called thinking. Weakness is barreling into a brick wall because that's the direction you first chose to head in — and, dammit, you stay the course. Want to know who worries most about seeming infallible at all costs? Extreme (unhealthy(link is external)) narcissists.

2. Don't applaud insults. There's a dead giveaway that extreme narcissists use to cover their insecurities: putdowns(link is external). Like the schoolyard bully who beats people up to feel stronger, extreme narcissists hurl insults when they feel threatened; they name call, insult, denigrate. It's not clever and it's not mature. We therapists have a name for it: emotional abuse(link is external). It doesn't belong on the playground, and it certainly doesn't belong in the White House.

3. Do applaud feelings. The world's going down in flames for sure if we choose unflappably stoic — read, insensitive — leaders who never seem to shed a tear or get choked up over anything. Who never seem openly moved by the plight of victims. Who disparage crossing party lines to offer or accept a hug in times of crisis that can — and should — bring the nation together. Extreme narcissists are emotion-phobes because they don't trust(link is external) people to support them (a problem called insecure attachment(link is external)). So they rarely show sadness, fear, loneliness, worry, shame or guilt. They just get angry or attack or become — you know, stoic. We don't need someone who collapses in tears constantly but, if you want good leaders, be aware that emotion is a basic job requirement.

4. Don't applaud manipulation. Disordered narcissists betray three telltale signs: empathy-impairment, entitlement, and exploitation(link is external). If someone openly brags about paying others to do their bidding, they don't view people as fellow human beings, but chess pieces. And it's only a matter of time before you become the sacrificial pawn. Blatant manipulation isn't a guarantee that someone has narcissistic personality disorder(link is external), the most extreme form of unhealthy narcissism, but it sure is a terrible sign.



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[orpupilofnature57]

1. I have a GED and coined the phrase " Narcissistic Fibrosis " Years Ago, obviously Boardrooms and

Congress are full of sociopaths and opportunists who are punished with Wealth and Affluence, and polarized, short sighted morons support it both financially and spiritually, those who aspire to join the ranks of the 1%, Greed has one Friend , Greed .