Some Narcissists Are Master Marketers

There are people who are focused on themselves who nonetheless are extremely persuasive of others. What is it about narcissists that make so many of them leaders? In terms of public persona, this seems to be Trump's game plan:

• Say things that drive all the attention of the news media in his direction, denying his opponents any coverage. Force opponents to respond as if Trump's opinions are the only opinions that matter.
• Force the public to focus on issues that work in Trump's favor, for example, linking his early stand against immigration to the fact that one of the recent shooters in a terror incident in California was an immigrant, who received guns from an American with a Hispanic name.
• Ask for far more than you expect to get, for example, Trump's recent demand that news network CNN pay him $5 million, which he would then donate to the charity of his choice, for his appearance in the next televised debate.
• Force people to see their world in terms of strength and weakness. People are drawn to strength in times of uncertainty.

(I'd like to take credit for these insights, but actually they were, as far as I know, first proposed by Dilbert cartoonist and blogger Scott Adams.)

Trump's political strategy seems to be working extremely well, far beyond the expectations of critics and pundits, but what does his personality tell us about what to expect next? Describing Trump as a narcissist, someone who is unusually concerned about himself, rather than as someone who has a narcissistic personality disorder, someone whose narcissism doesn't "work," the patterns that are likely to appear over and over again are:

• Shameless self-promotion. If something works, it is due to Trump's leadership. If something fails, it's because someone else was "stupid."
• Masterful management of impressions. It can be hard for the public to distinguish between arrogance and confidence. Trump's use of helicopters to fly to press conferences and his own "Air Force One, only more secure and beautiful" are designed to look Presidential.
• Leadership with the expectation of personal aggrandizement. The presidential agenda, whether proposed during the campaign, or the president's actual agenda should Trump win the nomination and the election, will be designed to focus attention on Trump.
• Managing credit and blame to Trump's favor. Whatever Trump's innermost beliefs about himself may be, he will act out a narrative of always being right and never being wrong. Scapegoats will be found, whether they are immigrants, the poor, Muslims, or just everyday "idiots."

There's a great deal about Trump's style that matches Americans' expectations that their leaders need to be confident, positive, strong, and selfish. Because Trump can dictate his news coverage, he will magnify the concerns among voters that result in favorable ratings.

READ Narcissistic Personality Disorder vs Antisocial Personality Disorder: What's The Difference?

Don't expect, however, for Donald Trump to manifest any of the weakness associated with narcissistic personality disorders. Don't expect him to crumble under pressure. Don't expect him to be desperate for attention, for the simple reason that his emotional needs will always be met. He is, after all, a billionaire who has been married to a succession of beautiful women who have given him amazing children. His buildings, are, with apologies for overworking the word, huge. He will always have anything he wants, except perhaps the Presidency of the United States. Whether or not he wins that office depends on just how insecure the American people are made by the news of the day.