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Follow up

As I think about it, this notion of deriving pleasure from making people happy explains a lot of Trumps behavior.  He loves doing guest bits on soap operas and WWF, because they make people laugh and smile. They are entertaining.  And the whole deal with The Apprentice was making an engaging show which people enjoyed watching.  With, in other words, making people happy.

Trump, unlike most Leftists, has never considered himself a saint, a messiah, or even a positive influence in anything but business.  He is what he is.  He says what he thinks, and always has.  Part of that is the New Yorker in him, and much of it is simply how he’s put together.  He has healthy self esteem, doesn’t feel the need to apologize for who he is (although I think he likely does laugh and smile sometimes at some the things thrown at him he knows are true), and these are all good traits.

What I DON’T think is really a big motivating factor for him is a need to always be the center of attention. Yes, his towers have his name on them.  Yes, he has enjoyed the limelight for decades.  But I think he sees himself as part of a bigger show, one with many more personalities he is happy to welcome onto the stage.

He is not a narcissist in my opinion.  He thinks about other people a lot.  He is unquestionably at times selfish, especially in his infidelities, but he is capable of recognizing the many individual worlds he shares this planet with.

He differs in this, in my view, from Barack Obama, who was some combination of convinced by others and by himself that he was unique, wonderful, and a gift to humanity, despite patent intellectual mediocrity, muted passion, an unserious attitude, and an aversion to hard work.