Donald Trump as Role Model for Psychological Health

Many things have been said about Donald Trump, but most people have overlooked that he may be a model for mental health.

After all, whether he's really a billionaire or a millionaire, and without any obvious preparation for a presidential campaign, he's a candidate for President of the United States, and most people reading this article aren't. He must be doing something right, at least in terms of his personal success, whatever one makes of his suitability to lead his country.

Nice Guys Usually Don't Finish First

No one is going to accuse Donald Trump of being encumbered by modesty, empathy, or humility. At least in his presidential persona, he's not a nice guy. And he seems to have an almost (or actually) delusional self-assessment of his abilities.

Many people will tell you that they dislike Donald Trump, but psychological research discloses that most people evaluate narcissists like Donald Trump as more successful, more confident, and more attractive. Narcissists are more likely to win contract negotiations. They are more likely to enjoy success at job interviews. They are more likely to have sex. If this is what it is like to be crazy, is being crazy all that bad?

Narcissism Is a Mental Illness But Narcissists Are Not Necessarily Mentally Ill

Psychologists and psychiatrists consider narcissism to be a continuum of behaviors. Everyone is at least a little narcissistic. There are some people who are so self-possessed that they are out of touch with shared reality. Their beliefs about themselves are delusional. Their need for attention is desperate. However, people like this number only about one or two percent of the general population.

While there is significant downside to a narcissistic personality, narcissists score well with regard to some of the "big five" personality traits. Narcissists are extroverted. A narcissist's brain secretes more of the pleasure chemical dopamine when attention is given. It also secretes more of a hormone called prolactin, which causes bonding between the narcissist and the people who offer that attention.

Narcissists usually aren't neurotic. They aren't afraid of things that don't make sense to be afraid of. The size of a region of the brain known as the amygdala, the "fear center" of the brain is smaller in narcissists. They can appear to be courageous in the situations to which they choose to expose themselves.

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

Narcissists also tend to be open (you don't have to guess what is on their minds), conscientious, and low on agreeableness, which is to say, nobody is going to push them over.

Good Narcissism and Bad Narcissism

Psychologists don't actually categorize narcissists as good and bad, but they do characterize them as vulnerable and grandiose. Vulnerable narcissists believe they are special, but they just don't have the personality, talents, or appearance to draw attention to themselves. They are prone to outbursts of anger and frustration when they don't get attention. Grandiose narcissists are able to draw attention to themselves through socially acceptable activities (or activities that appear to be socially acceptable). They can be insufferably pompous, but they can also be charming. Most successful narcissists are grandiose.

If You Aren't a Narcissist, How Can You Compete With One?

Most of us, whether we are narcissists or not, eventually have to compete with a narcissist for a job, a promotion, or a business deal. What is it about narcissists that make them so hard to beat? Conversely, what is it about a narcissist that can give you the winning edge in dealing with them? Here are some suggestions. (These principles, of course, will also work in dealing with other narcissists if you happen to be a narcissist yourself.)

• It's not a good idea to socialize with the narcissists with whom you compete at work or in business. Healthy, grandiose narcissists (yes, it's possible to be a healthy narcissist) will envy any talents that draw attention away from themselves. If they are healthy, they use that envy to become better at the skills and qualities they see in others so they become the center of attention. You don't want someone working hard to be a better you than you are yourself. Don't let them get to know you.
• It is a good idea to rehearse your memories of times you feel powerful. You don't have to be a jerk about it; but before you go into a job interview, recall your victories, the times you were a winner. They put your in a mindset to project power and competence.
• Stand up straight. Speak clearly. Use open gestures. Body language conveys power, too. You don't have to master Hitlerian hand gestures like the famous American presidential candidate, but you certainly should not go into a business meeting or a job interview hunched over or slouching. Psychological study has found that people who sit up straight are more likely to believe their self-talk about power and success.

READ How To Recognize People With Narcissistic Personality Disorder

• Dress neatly. Careful attention to appearance reinforces self-esteem.
• Be aware that narcissistic attitudes are often rewarded in corporate settings. Even malignant narcissism, the need to tear others down, can be a way to get ahead in a "sick" company. If you don't like playing the game, choose a different arena.
• Don't be shy. If you really do have the best ideas in a group, you will have to speak up to share them. You may find dealing with narcissistic responses to your ideas distasteful, but it's necessary not only for you to get credit for your own abilities but also for your good ideas to adopted by the group to which you present them.

Feelings of superiority are healthy when you are objectively superior. Where people go wrong is needing to feel superior to others, and feeling upset when they aren't regarded as superior to others, or, even worse, losing temper and becoming self-destructive when others objectively perform better than themselves. If you are a narcissist, you have an inborn drive to succeed. If you aren't, you can fake it 'til you make it, you can project the competencies of which you are sure within yourself to the rest of the world until the world finally takes notice, always paying attention to your inner moral compass.