SOCIOPATH?

I hate to throw around terms that suggest an expertise that I don't have--in this case, psychology. But I have done some basic research into the nature of the sociopath and it seems to me that every definition I have read is a perfect fit for the man who occupies our Oval Office. I have reached the point where I can't bear to validate him by uttering his name; and "occupation" seems like a fair description of the way he treats the office.

This "president" has a glibness and a superficial charm that seems to draw large numbers of people into his sphere of influence; he is possessed of an immensely puffed-up sense of himself, absurdly inflates his own successes and cravenly blames others for his flaws, errors and transgressions; he lies as easily as he breathes and thrives on the chaos he creates; he seems unable to distinguish his own fantasies from reality; he allows himself every liberty and considers himself untouchable, even by the law; he is endlessly manipulative of those around him, whether friends or foes--and appears incapable of distinguishing between them; he thrives on adulation but rejects all criticism; he is incapable of remorse, let alone apology; cares not the least for those he hurts; is stingy with everyone but himself and, with all his wealth, seems to lack any spirit of generosity; his moods are unpredictable, his actions intemperate; he craves constant attention and stimulation. Is he capable of love? For himself, certainly. But for his wife, his kids? His actions and his body language lead us to doubt it.

I have come to believe that we are all mistaken--whether Democrats or Republicans, American voters or world leaders--in expectations based on the assumption that we are dealing with a rational human being. The real tragedy and the real danger of our current predicament is that he has us all twisted into his own world of narcissistic illogic, and we respond accordingly. Sociopaths, I am led to believe, can do that. It is their special skill. Their drive to dominate is powerful enough to bend everyone to their will. Their superficial charm serves to distract those in their thrall from recognizing the danger they incur and the damage that they wreak.

The truth, I fear, is that the man who has made his way, by guile, into the most powerful office in the world is a true sociopath. He is irredeemable. To give him the inch that his Republican enablers keep allowing is to invite him to seize the next mile every time. The more we surrender to his lust for power, the more he craves. As I understand it, there is no stopping, no converting, no enlisting a sociopath to your cause. He is his own cause, and will recognize no other. Rational argument and persuasion are vain enterprises with such a man; they serve only draw you deeper into his tyrannical embrace.

In view of all this, I align myself with those who advocate for activation of the 25th Amendment. Trump hides behind a mask of reason, but lives--and rules--outside its realm. It is past time to rescue ourselves and our country from his unyielding grasp.