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To beat Trump, we need to know why Americans keep voting for him. Psychologists may have the answer (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

145 comments fedilink hide all child comments

US culture is an incubator of ‘extrinsic values’. Nobody embodies them like the Republican frontrunner

Many explanations are proposed for the continued rise of Donald Trump, and the steadfastness of his support, even as the outrages and criminal charges pile up. Some of these explanations are powerful. But there is one I have seen mentioned nowhere, which could, I believe, be the most important: Trump is king of the extrinsics.

Some psychologists believe our values tend to cluster around certain poles, described as “intrinsic” and “extrinsic”. People with a strong set of intrinsic values are inclined towards empathy, intimacy and self-acceptance. They tend to be open to challenge and change, interested in universal rights and equality, and protective of other people and the living world.

People at the extrinsic end of the spectrum are more attracted to prestige, status, image, fame, power and wealth. They are strongly motivated by the prospect of individual reward and praise. They are more likely to objectify and exploit other people, to behave rudely and aggressively and to dismiss social and environmental impacts. They have little interest in cooperation or community. People with a strong set of extrinsic values are more likely to suffer from frustration, dissatisfaction, stress, anxiety, anger and compulsive behaviour.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Jfc, this is pathetic, but sadly reflective of the actual big picture it thinks it's giving - trump is a symptom. He is not the cause, he is not the single issue that we need to "beat", the system that enables him to exist is.

That same system that indoctrinates all of society in to capitalism and the systems of oppression it (and the likes of trump) relies on.

The same system this psychologist is conveniently ignoring to get their nonsense published as some sort of revelation, when in reality it is serving that very system by continuing to deepen the divide in the working class and blame those being manipulated instead of those in charge of the system based on manipulation.

Some people being able to break free from that indoctrination doesn't magically make those who don't [insert ableist slur/armchair diagnosis], it makes them victims of a scam. And you don't free them (and by extension yourself) by blaming them and pretending like if only they voted for the other puppet in the 4-yearly illusion of choice show all our problems would be solved, you free them by ending the fucking scam.

(to be clear - this doesn't mean you don't hold people accountable for their actions, but that you look at the big picture to gain some fucking perspective and understanding, and then hold people accountable for what they're actually responsible for, rather than everything that is wrong in the world and systems far beyond their control, and then pull a shocked pikach face when it doesn't work. No fucking shit sherlock..)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Agreed, this is well written. It seems even more see obvious trump is a symptom because so many other trump-esque politicians are rising up and finding success across the globe in many other countries. Right-wing recessionism is really popular right now, but it's mostly because the systems themselves seem largely without hope, and broken.