Tag: mental-health

Trump As A Mass Delusion by Art Smukler, MD, author & psychiatrist 

by artsmuklermd, posted in Writing

Why in the world would anyone in their right mind support a convicted sex offender, known serial liar, thief, and malignant narcissist? 

I was reading Michael Lewis’ latest book Going Infinite about Sam Bankman-Fried who as a young child was shocked that kids believed in Santa Claus and similarly adults believed in God. It made no sense to him that mass delusions were so common. 

That got me thinking about democracy’s arch-enemy, Trump. The trumpers (small t on purpose) are deluded. They actually believe that this charlatan will save them and the country. Some followers say it’s because he’s pro-Israel, others because he’s anti-abortion, others because he wouldn’t act against gun control, some even see him as the next rising of Christ, or they identify with rich self-centered bullies…

But the main thing that holds them all together is that they are in love with him. It’s like the delusion that occurs when you first fall in love. There’s no flaw to be found in your new amour. 

But wait. Why then do 50% of all marriages end in divorce? Why? Because the delusion disintegrates. Eventually sanity reigns. 

Maybe when Trump is behind bars half the country will finally wake up? 

Maybe they won’t?

If we don’t speak out, nothing will change!

Don’t passively watch as our frightened Republican officials publicly support this man and privately condemn him.

Art

#Trump, #MichaelLewis, #Bankman-Fried, #delusions

WHY IS A STONE KILLER SO INTERESTING? by Art Smukler, author & psychiatrist

by artsmuklermd, posted in Psychiatry, World events, a psychological view, Writing

I’m talking about the one with dead eyes who blows someone’s head off, then opens the fridge, finishes off the last piece of apple pie, and carefully brushes away the crumbs with a clean hanky.

How can someone do that? Wouldn’t he be shaking or vomiting, filled with guilt and anguish at the fact he’s taken another’s life? That would be nice, but then that would make him human. A stone killer has no conscience. If you have no conscience you can strangle puppies to death, steal from elderly women, or torture innocent people. Having a reasonable discussion with this type of pseudo-human sociopath is a waste of time. Spending thousands to rehab him is also a waste of resources.

So why do we find him so interesting? Because he does exactly what he wants. We struggle with right or wrong, whether we’ll hurt someone’s feelings, or whether what we’re doing is honorable. Our code of ethics runs deep. His only code is to not get caught.

On the good side, stone killers can be fun. It’s fun to get revenge without guilt or remorse, to read a murder mystery and give our overactive consciences a rest. Crawl into bed, relax into a comfortable state of anxiety, because in the end, the good guy will get the bad guy and we’ll all be saved.

Any thoughts on good versus evil?

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