The Most Important Debate Takeaway

Kamala nailed it by not taking the narcissist's bait. We pet meme sharers have yet to learn that lesson.

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I’m Jeremy Sherman PhD, a strategic consultant since 1997, specializing in dealing with jerks and doubts.

DEALING WITH JERKS
BOOK: What’s Up With A**holes? How to spot and stop them without becoming one.

DEALING WITH DOUBTS

Though I’m informal, I’ll argue that my approach is more scientific than what passes for science but is really abstract engineering—researchers claiming we’ve got this or that add-on feature without explaining how we got it. That makes for great engineering but it’s no more rigorous than supernatural explanations.

For 27 years, I’ve worked closely with Harvard/Berkeley biologist/neuroscientist Terrence Deacon on developing fully scientific explanations for phenomena simply assumed by other researchers.

Some examples:

LIFE’S STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE: DNA and natural selection don’t explain it. We have a fully natural explanation for how self-regenerating beings (like us) could emerge from chemistry and evolve (by natural selection) the capacity to use DNA molecules.

MOTIVATION: Psychologists just assume it. When they see effort they assume a motivation which is like assuming a “soul.” We have an explanation for what effort and motivation are physically is: not something added to chemistry but the way chemistry can limit itself by channeling energy into work to regenerate itself.

NARCISSISM: Psychologists say that if you’ve got these symptoms you have a thing called Narcissism. I have an explanation for how humans having evolved language can imagine the ideal, see where we fall short, and self-idealize to compensate. It’s something we all do. I study how it gets out of hand and becomes addictive

My PhD is in decision science. I’m a soulnerd with a deeply connected heart and head. This stuff is my non-spiritual path. I live and breathe my work. It’s not some abstract intellectual exercise.

Nor is it art. Science is a campaign to find natural explanations for all natural phenomena – natural, not supernatural about which you can believe anything.

Still, I try to make this stuff fun, intuitive, and useful. I’ve written over 1,100 blog articles for Psychology Today on practical decision-making and the stuff we all go through (11 million views). Their editor-in-chief calls it, “Mind candy for those who aren't afraid to think.”

00:00 She cut him
01:07 Coup de grace
01:47 Teachable moment
02:37 Exciting us all
05:00 Narcissism is fun & easy
05:28 Don't take the bait

[irockluculent]

As a retired mental health professional, I haven't found anyone who grasps, explains, and counters the Trump/MAGA phenomenon better. Thank you.
(Extra points for acknowledging the "postpartum depression"!)

[mzknip]

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity" - Martin Luther King Jr.

[homofloridensis]

Oh God! I so have wished, and wished for the Welsh moment for Trump! And it kept slipping away.

[shadycharacterz]

The postpartum depression comment is epic. Thank you so much for doing this.

[chrisgrill]

One well-put insight after another... blimey...

[GhostOnTheHalfShell]

Oh my, so brutal. Masochists need this! LOL

[pamelalahti]

Yes, a weaning is needed.
My online activity is out of control.
TDS is real, damn it.
Que the screaming meanies of withdrawal.

[TheAlchaemist]

The most important thing she did not do is: They go low, we go high.
For years we have been unable to get rid of this bully because they were not addressing it!
For fks sake... not long ago the "best" they could come up with was "the morals of an alley cat"...
AT LAST they reacted...

[jeremysmetana]

At a high level, I get why people say Trump is entertaining, and why some feel that way, even after all of this awfulness. But I don't find him entertaining. I never did. I've gone from frustration, to outrage, to a kind of fatigue that I never thought I would ever feel. I need so desperately for him to go away. In the few moments when the press has taken a few days off from him, the silence has felt profound, almost divine.

[doubledragon]

I've never liked reality shows. I don't like Seinfeld, either. Guess I'm actually immune.

[surgeeo]

Well, he's never been entertaining to me... His abuser mannerism are painfully obvious, since I'm an abuse survivor.

[Rottingboards]

Don't take the bait from a master-baiter.

[chrishelton]

She taught us all how to deal with MAGA.

[Eternalservant]

Something really weird that the right and the left apparently agree on Republicans and some Democrats I can't believe this believe a post scarcity society is a desirable thing something worthy to strive for, I can't express my surprise when I found this out this is common ground is this something I can put aside all kinds of discussed in revulsion for other people if they're willing to work toward this goal. If the far right and the right and Republicans in general are willing to work toward this I could ignore a lot of their more repulsive behavior.

[anamericaninamericavotesblue]

America needs to get off Trumptainment.

[shannarunyan]

I’ve been learning not to take the bait in my life but I need to quit watching Trump and taking that bait too. Thanks

[chumley]

Ah, he gets attention, but nobody turns out the Dems like DJT!

[gregoryrau]

I don't know if I'll be feeling depressed when Trump goes away. Honestly, I only pay attention when I have to. I was sucked into this drama at first, but too much of this Trump crap is making me sick. Like if you eat too much dessert. I don't know if I ever found Trump "entertaining" per-se, but The rage-bait is so old and tired. I really can't wait until I don't see it anymore.