Nick Carmody JD, MS Psych Profile picture
Jul 19, 2021 33 tweets 8 min read Read on X
Interesting analysis of “mobbing phenomenon”, with parallels drawn to American politics.

It brings to mind the dangerous interplay between "authoritarian followers” and “vertically power-structured” institutions that exist within a “horizontally power-structured” democracy...1/
According to Altemeyer’s research, 20-30% of a population will have an authoritarian personality.

Authoritarian personalities are drawn to “vertical power structures”….which are a strict hierarchical structure where power emanates from the top-down. 2/ theauthoritarians.org
The article above analyzes a corporate environment. I've used the term "corporate creatures" to describe those who thrive in and exploit the corporate structure and the cut-throat ecosystem.

Corporate creatures are often authoritarian personalities/followers who...3/
...are drawn to the top-down vertical power structure of "authority", b/c they not only gravitate to the powerful leader, but they want to ascend the power structure to have power/control over others.

Authoritarian followers are not only drawn to authority, they may crave it. 4/
Unsurprisingly, Narcissists/Sociopaths are drawn to the vertical power structure of corporate America, and are disproportionately represented within the ranks of CEOs...as noted here when analyzing society’s failure to rein in narcissists/sociopaths. 5/
Due to their vertical power structure, certain institutions may be comprised of a considerably higher percentage of authoritarian followers than the 20-30% that generally exists across society. 6/
In a democracy, the power “theoretically” resides in the people....which creates a bottom-up, "horizontal power structure".

There is an obvious tension that exists when a horizontally power-structured democracy is supported by vertically power-structured institutions… 7/
…that are disproportionately represented by authoritarian followers.

This vertical/horizontal power structure tension creates an obvious need for “separation” or insulation.

Hence, the need for the separation of church and state….8/
….and, perhaps even more importantly, the need for civilian-led military.

However, when an authoritarian leader takes power and abuses his power, the country is reliant upon the character/integrity/patriotism and constitutional adherence of leaders such as General Milley…..10/
This is why Trump and the Right Wing “Media Authoritarians” have turned on General Milley, and are attempting to create division within the disproportionately-represented authoritarian follower ranks….11/
Essentially, a horizontal power structure has been hijacked by authoritarian personalities, who are attempting to vertical-ize democracy, and create a diversion of verticality from current military leadership to the right-wing authoritarian movement. 12/
This was on display on January 6th: 13/
As I read, the article about "mobbing phenomenon" embedded in the initial tweet, I thought about Jeremy Richman, the Sandy Hook father/neuroscientist who committed suicide after becoming exhausted by the Alex Jones-led "mobbing" ("crisis actors", etc).
Other threads on authoritarianism and/or authoritarian followers: 15/
Article form of the above thread (no paywall): 26/ patreon.com/posts/54033856

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More from @Nick_Carmody

Aug 15
There may be several things going on here with Trump, his obsessive inability to let go of Biden....and the criticism surrounding Biden not running.

First, anyone who’s been in a bad relationship where years of resentment builds up has experienced the phenomenon where the current action/statement the other person is criticizing you for isn’t really about the current action/behavior…..

....it’s just that the current action/behavior presents an opportunity to channel/focus that built up resentment/contempt for you: "I'm frustrated/wounded, and I want to use this opportunity to hurt/wound you".

If you step right (in the non-political sense), you’re criticized for not stepping left….and if you had stepped left, you would have been criticized for not stepping right.

It’s not about which direction you step, it’s about exploiting the opportunity to criticize/attack you.

Similarly, the Right’s criticism was that Biden was too old, was “A Weekend at Bernie’s” puppet, and that it was a disgrace that the Democrats were running him again (stepped right, instead of left).

Then when Biden stepped down, and Kamala became the nominee…..a narrative is created around Biden not being there (stepped left instead of stepping right).

This happens constantly in politics where both parties have extreme contempt/resentment for each other...

1/Image
Another potential factor:

Trump’s Cluster B personality disorders cause him to create alternate realities when actual reality threatens him, or violates his pathologically distorted concept of “fairness”.



To Trump, it’s “unfair” that he/they were prepared for running against (and beating) Biden....

....but now he "unfairly" has to run against, and potentially lose to Kamala.

3/


For most of Trump’s life, he’s been able to live in his own alternate realities because his resources have protected from experiencing consequences for his pathological behavior...

...and/or because people have enabled his pathological thinking/actions.

This thread analyzes why society's social/legal systems fail to rein in narcissists/sociopaths:

4/Image
Read 9 tweets
Aug 9
Observations of Trump at his press conference:

He's raging. At the beginning of the speech, Trump’s eyes were squinty/narrowed…his brow/forehead was tight/furrowed….and his mouth was very tight, especially at the beginning of the speech.

When he's feeling it/himself at rally's, he's usually very animated/loose with his mouth. Not today.

The one notable time when he was animated with his mouth was when he was talking about Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, and it indicated contempt (1:04:30).

1/
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Trump's rage was channeled into inciting fear:

He repeatedly claimed Americans are not safe, that the economy would collapse into a depression if he's not president, and that there will be a world war.

Trump uses fear to scare people into self-preservationally voting for a “strongman”:

2/
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Trump said, "This is the most dangerous period of time for our country".



The fear he is mongering is likely projection because he knows that if he loses the election he goes to prison….so the wave of enthusiasm for Harris means….. "this is the most dangerous period of time for [him]”.

He's scared. He channels fear into anger. He channels anger into retaliation aggression (revenge). This thread analyzes the neuropsychological process of "revenge politics"

3/
Read 17 tweets
Aug 5
Trump literally thinks like child. He sounds like a 3 year old telling a shopping mall Santa Claus what a good boy he has been.....and which neighbor kid has been mean to him.

Deciphered transcript of Trump's random stream of Narcissistic consciousness from the interview:

“One of the most famous/richest/influential people (Zuckerberg) in the world who runs one of the biggest/most important companies in the world……called me multiple times because I’m so important, and because he wanted to talk to me so badly….to tell me how amazing the media/TV event/show that I headlined (RNC convention) was…..to tell me how amazing I am….and to tell me how brave I am……and to tell me that because I am so brave that this really important influential person (Zuckerberg) cannot fathom supporting anyone but me because he respects me so much….because although this amazing grandiose thing (my amazing reaction to the assassination attempt) is so respected by this important person (Zuckerberg)….but to me it was a normal response because I’m so amazing that it’s normal for me to do amazing things….and because I’m so amazing I’m going to remind everyone again that this really important person (Zuckerberg) called me multiple times on consecutive days to tell me how amazing I am…..and to grovel to me with apologies……..but these bad people who don’t like me enough (Google) didn’t call me to tell me how amazing I am or to grovel to me….I do shows like yours (H)….your show is amazing because you have me on, and grovel to me because I’m amazing….and they (the rest of the country who loves me) show clips of your show when I’m on “all over the place” because I’m amazing….and then “you’re [I’m] all over those little beautiful cell phones” that have pictures/videos of me, because I’m amazing….you have a great product, a great brand because you grovel to me…..so you [“I”] have to get out….you [“I”] have to do things like your amazing show (because you grovel to me)….and other shows that grovel to me…..Google has been very bad, they’ve been very irresponsible because they don’t grovel to me….and if/when I’m president I’m going to take retaliatory actions [“I will be your retribution”] against them…..I will say this…..this really important person [Zuckerberg] that I used to hate, but am now repeatedly reminding everyone of how much he likes me and that “he called me a lot”…..he likes me….”

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Read 7 tweets
Aug 3
When analyzing why some women still support a pathologically immoral, abusive political leader like Trump…

....it’s important to consider the role of fear…...and evolutionary psychology:

"Primal tribalism"

Let’s unpack….

1/
Not all of Trump’s supporter are bad people.

In fact, as people like @TimAlberta have written/analyzed, when separated from political consumption/discourse, most are still good people in just about every other aspect of their life.

2/
bytimalberta.com
But politics, and Trump in particular, cause otherwise good people to become unrecognizable from who they were years ago...

....or in some cases...

...who they were just minutes/hours before the topic of politics/Trump comes up in conversation.

Why?

3/
Read 26 tweets
Jul 31
Everything must be viewed through the lens of Trump's extreme narcissism.

Even Trump's sociopathy occurs in the service of his Narcissism.

As explained in my analysis of @gtconway3d's & @duty2warn's conversation of @psychopac24’s ad:

“Trump’s narcissism > his sociopathy”:

1/
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In 2019, there was a @JimVandeHei interview of Trump where Trump appeared to get emotional talking about:

“I want to be nice. I don’t want to be this way, but I have to be this way”.

I wrote about how Trump is counterintuitively a "people pleaser".

2/
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With regards to racism, there may elements of narcissism (grandiosity, superiority complex) that factor in.....

....which may rise to the level of sociopathy (reckless disregard for the safety of others) when it metastasizes to "White Supremacy".

3/
Read 24 tweets
Jul 30
An important effect of this ad:

It caused Trump to feel betrayed by FOXNews.

When Trump feels betrayed, his pathologically fragile ego causes him to compulsively sabotage his long-term interests/goals in order to vindictively pursue his short term "wins" (revenge).

1/
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Remember when Trump was pissed off because @GaSecofState Raffensperger didn’t corruptly hand the 2020 election to Trump?

It resulted in Georgia sending a Democrat to the U.S. Senate for the first time since 2000 (two actually: Ossoff and Warnick).

2/businessinsider.com/trump-anger-ov…
Relevant to this point, at the 52:30 minute mark of this Shrinking Trump podcast with @gtconway3d...

...they discuss the difference between Trump & Hitler...

...and the tension that exists between Trump’s impulsivity, and his machiavellianism.

3/
Read 20 tweets

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