Member-only story
Why Obama is a Better Egotist Than Trump
Anybody who has seen Obama swagger to a stage in a way that can only be described as dripping with confidence — to say nothing of his invariable self-assuredness in speech — would be remiss to not conclude the man has a healthy ego. And Trump, well, he is perhaps the archetypal case study on rampant narcissism. Of course, running for President all but requires egotism and narcissism. It’s difficult to reconcile looking yourself in the mirror and saying you’re the most deserving of being the most powerful person on Earth with not being a narcissist. But “narcissism“ and “egotism” don’t have to be dirty words.
Remember in the olden days when people would value things like “glory”? What else is glory than acknowledgement of one’s own greatness? The drive to heroism has always been, in some form or another, deeply embedded in narcissistic tendencies. Though to say this is “narcissistic” ignores the pervasive role of ego and self-value in every aspect of human motivation. We all want people to be proud of us, and, more importantly, we want to be proud of ourselves. This drive is an invaluable social instinct that drives humanity forward like nothing else in our psychological toolbox. Each one of us wants to make a name for ourselves, experience glory in some small or big way, and that causes us to advance.
