# The danger in believing Trump's actions are rational

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-danger-in-believing-trumps-actions-are-rational/769065>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [October 19, 2016, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-danger-in-believing-trumps-actions-are-rational/769065 "2016-10-19T21:02:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-danger-in-believing-trumps-actions-are-rational/769065/21 "2016-10-21T22:32:37Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> One might also note that if it was explained to Trump that his “rigged election” rhetoric is doing his country a great deal of harm both in its international prestige and its foreign policy credibility, as I noted over here – and I’m certain that this has been explained to him – Trump couldn’t care less. Because the best interests of his country or its citizens is absolutely nowhere on Trump’s priority list. In fact the only thing on Trump’s priority list is Trump.

I don’t necessarily disagree with this - but how can you be sure it has been explained? my impression is he is surrounded by people who he doesn’t allow to correct him and that he has no interest in learning.

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**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:** [October 21, 2016, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-danger-in-believing-trumps-actions-are-rational/769065/22 "2016-10-21T22:33:47Z")

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> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> I generally agree with your entire post, and in fact I think that the whole thing, quoted parts and all, is very well written. I would just make the minor point with regard to dichotomies like the above that this need not be an “either-or” situation – it can be both. Trump is a pathological narcissist, by which I mean that he’s narcissistic to a degree classifiable as a mental illness, so the “rigged election” meme is not only a satisfying crowd pleaser, but also an emotional necessity to deal with the inevitable election loss.
> 
> One might also note that if it was explained to Trump that his “rigged election” rhetoric is doing his country a great deal of harm both in its international prestige and its foreign policy credibility, as I noted [over here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19719255&postcount=97) – and I’m certain that this _ **has** _ been explained to him – Trump couldn’t care less. Because the best interests of his country or its citizens is absolutely nowhere on Trump’s priority list. In fact the only thing on Trump’s priority list is Trump.

Yeah. Both to “it’s both” and to Trump’s utter lack of interest in the question of the harm he is doing to the USA with his claims of a rigged election.

My basic thesis is that some of this harm could be ameliorated if those with a platform–in particular, the journalists and the politicians they’re covering–would spend less time speculating on what rational objectives Trump is supposedly working toward, and more time speculating on the possibility that Trump is operating NOT according to reason, but according to his raw unconscious emotional need for cheers and applause.

Because doing the former (attributing rationality to Trump’s words and actions) legitimizes and normalizes what he’s doing.

We don’t need to be legitimizing and normalizing Trump. We _could_ choose not to do that.

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