# Does Trump have these traits? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 16, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-have-these-traits/757560 "2016-06-16T20:30:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-have-these-traits/757560/1 "2016-06-16T20:30:31Z")
Do folks here think that Donald Trump possesses the following traits? 1. Having an exaggerated sense of self-importance 2. Expecting to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it 3. Exaggerating his achievements and talents 4. Being preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate 5. Believing that he is superior and can only be understood by or associate with equally special people 6. Requiring constant admiration 7. Having a sense of entitlement 8. Expecting special favors and unquestioning compliance with his expectations 9. Taking advantage of others to get what he wants 10. Having an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others 11. Being envious of others and believing others envy him 12. Behaving in an arrogant or haughty manner Personally, I think he’s 12/12 on these. In fact, these points pretty much describe Trump to a Tee, in my opinion. But then I don’t think he necessarily has narcissistic personality disorder, because he is still able to function and be successful in society. He’s just a successful narcissist. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-have-these-traits/757560/2 "2016-06-16T21:01:36Z")
Having a personality disorder doesn’t imply an inability to function. If the person has a sufficiently-effective support system, then he can get along (and being born to wealth is a pretty-good support system). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-have-these-traits/757560/3 "2016-06-16T22:07:13Z")
Sounds like you typical poster on this MB. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-have-these-traits/757560/4 "2016-06-16T23:08:35Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > 1. Requiring constant admiration He does not handle criticism well, at any rate. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-have-these-traits/757560/5 "2016-06-16T23:09:41Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Sounds like you typical poster on this MB. 🙂 You’re just jealous of my awesome post. Sad! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-have-these-traits/757560/6 "2016-06-17T00:55:02Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Having a personality disorder doesn’t imply an inability to function. If the person has a sufficiently-effective support system, then he can get along (and being born to wealth is a pretty-good support system). Kind of like being a heroin addict, in a way. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-have-these-traits/757560/7 "2016-06-17T01:48:27Z")
Allow me to play the devil’s advocate. I think the narcissist tendencies the OP describes are only signs of a psychological issue if they’re unrelated to reality. And the reality is that Donald Trump has accomplished a lot in his life. He’s generally been successful in business (although he may fudge the details) and he’s currently got a good shot at being elected President. At some point you have to say that a high sense of self-importance and feelings of superiority are not exaggerated - they’re just a realistic appraisal of your place in the world. I’m sure people like Warren Buffett and Hillary Clinton have high senses of self-importance and feelings of superiority as well. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-have-these-traits/757560/8 "2016-06-17T02:20:36Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Allow me to play the devil’s advocate. I think the narcissist tendencies the OP describes are only signs of a psychological issue if they’re unrelated to reality. And the reality is that Donald Trump has accomplished a lot in his life. He’s generally been successful in business (although he may fudge the details) and he’s currently got a good shot at being elected President. At some point you have to say that a high sense of self-importance and feelings of superiority are not exaggerated - they’re just a realistic appraisal of your place in the world. I’m sure people like Warren Buffett and Hillary Clinton have high senses of self-importance and feelings of superiority as well. I would believe all of that if I had not heard Trump speak on the campaign trail. His narcissistic tendencies are unrelated to reality. Like Carson, he is expert in one or two fields but abysmally ignorant and Dunning-Krugered about everything else. He cannot admit he is wrong no matter how often it happens. He blows up at any criticism – what did he think he was getting into when he announced?! Did he think he’d be the first presidential candidate since Washington whom nobody would criticize?! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-have-these-traits/757560/9 "2016-06-17T03:13:17Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Allow me to play the devil’s advocate. I think the narcissist tendencies the OP describes are only signs of a psychological issue if they’re unrelated to reality. And the reality is that Donald Trump has accomplished a lot in his life. He’s generally been successful in business (although he may fudge the details) and he’s currently got a good shot at being elected President. At some point you have to say that a high sense of self-importance and feelings of superiority are not exaggerated - they’re just a realistic appraisal of your place in the world. I’m sure people like Warren Buffett and Hillary Clinton have high senses of self-importance and feelings of superiority as well. Buffett seems pretty well-grounded from what he’s written. I don’t have as much of a sample of Hillary’s writing. But to compare either of them to the narcissist blowhard isn’t even close to reality. Trump has had it easy all his life. Combine that with a bullying attitude and an absolute lack of scruples and it’s not overly surprising that he’s been a success; neither is it admirable, though. The only things Trump has ever done have been for his own benefit. You can’t say that about Buffett or Hillary. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-have-these-traits/757560/10 "2016-06-17T04:09:56Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I would believe all of that if I had not heard Trump speak on the campaign trail. His narcissistic tendencies are unrelated to reality. Like Carson, he is expert in one or two fields but abysmally ignorant and Dunning-Krugered about everything else. He cannot admit he is wrong no matter how often it happens. He blows up at any criticism – what did he think he was getting into when he announced?! Did he think he’d be the first presidential candidate since Washington whom nobody would criticize?! > [@Johnny\_Ace](#): > > Trump has had it easy all his life. Combine that with a bullying attitude and an absolute lack of scruples and it’s not overly surprising that he’s been a success; neither is it admirable, though. The only things Trump has ever done have been for his own benefit. You can’t say that about Buffett or Hillary. What you’re describing are character flaws. But they’re not narcissism. Narcissism is about being self-centered and always believing you’re the most important person in the room. And let’s face facts; Trump probably has been the most important person in most of the rooms he’s been in during his life. And being self-centered isn’t delusional when everyone else is as interested in you as you are. Trump’s problem is that he doesn’t realize he’s jumped to a whole new level. He’s like the cliche of the football player who’s always been the star player in high school and college and thinks he’ll be the same in the NFL. But all the players in the NFL were stars in high school and college. The people who succeed in the NFL are the ones who can adjust to suddenly being surrounded by players at their level for the first time. Trump hasn’t figured this out. Presidential politics is the equivalent of joining the NFL. Only extraordinary people reach this level. Trump is still acting like he can dominate the room and hasn’t realized that he’s now at a level where everyone is highly accomplished. Trump’s not used to competing with people at his level and he’s showing the strains.