Description
President Trump’s victory in 2016 stunned the world and unleased a new era in U.S. politics. Donald Trump often embodies the opposite of what many expect from a president, making it difficult for even Republican leaders to know how to respond to him. From his stubborn refusal to release his tax returns to the unprecedented cordiality he displayed to Vladimir Putin despite compelling evidence of Russia’s tampering with the 2016 election, President Trump has proven to be a shadowy figure who many, including Richard Reich, feared would consolidate power like a demagogue. His brazen, overly self-confident manner is a lightning rod for those who think anything that changes the old order is welcomed and is a warning of a clear and present danger for those who oppose him. Since taking office President Trump’s personality and its potential impact upon world affairs has become a central focus for many.
Narcissism is epidemic and as Dr. Tom Singer points out, President Trump is “carrying around the longest selfie stick in the world.”
A Clear and Present Danger: Narcissism in the Era of President Trump assembles thoughtful, deep explorations of narcissism by bestselling authors, university professors, and practicing clinicians. The narcissist often demands that the world conform to their image in order to sustain unending adulation and praise. They are capable of viscous and cold-hearted retaliation when their image is impugned. Narcissism demands to be mirrored and refuses to be challenged. Readers may recognize narcissistic features in people they know from work, the home, the entertainment industry, and politics. President Trump’s supporters as well as his detractors may be left asking how narcissistic traits manifest in someone who becomes President of the United States of America.
“Every country has the government it deserves,” said Alexis de Tocqueville, author of Democracy in America. The contributors share a hope that these essays will become a mirror for the reader and for a nation called to examine itself. In the end, as Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés reminds us, “We were made for times like these.”
Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a Jungian Analyst and curandera who has authored many books including Women Who Run With the Wolves, The Gift of Story, Untie the Strong Woman, The Dangerous Old Woman, and more. She has been on the New York Times best seller’s list for nearly 3 years.
Jean Shinoda Bolen is a psychiatrist, Jungian Analyst, and author of many books including Goddess in Every Woman, Tao of Psychology, Crones Don’t Whine, Ring of Power, Like a Tree, and many others.
James Hollis is a Zurich-trained Jungian analyst in private practice in Washington, D. C., where he is also Executive Director of the Jung Society of Washington. Additionally, he is the author of fourteen books and many articles, and Vice-President Emeritus of the Philemon Foundation, devoted to the publication of the unpublished writing of Jung.
Also featuring chapters by Nancy Swift Furlotti, Susan Rowland, Kathryn Madden, James Wyly, Leonard Cruz, Steven Buser, Thomas Patrick Lavin, Jaqueline West, Alden Josey, Nathan Schwartz-Salant, John McClain, & Eve Maram
