{"id":511,"date":"2026-01-28T08:43:46","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T14:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/understanddjt\/?page_id=511"},"modified":"2026-03-28T09:10:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T14:10:51","slug":"understanding","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thewaywesee.com\/understanddjt\/","title":{"rendered":"UNDERSTANDING"},"content":{"rendered":"

…………………….. Contents of this Page<\/strong> …………………………………….<\/p>\n

COMPLICATED TIMES, COMPLICATED PEOPLE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGY ARE RELEVANT ISSUES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

PRIDE IS AN OBSTACLE TO UNDERSTANDING THAT LEADS TO CHANGE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

MOTIVATIONS FOR CHANGE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

CREATING A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR CHANGE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

WHEN CHANGE DOES AND DOES NOT HAPPENS\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS HAVE FEELINGS TOO<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

ESSENTIALS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

APPLYING UNDERSTANDING TO POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

RESOURCES FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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COMPLICATED TIMES, COMPLICATED PEOPLE<\/strong>
\nIt is not unreasonable to say that America\u2019s current social and political turmoil stems largely from the fact that voters have historically based their choices on party loyalty, policy positions, and economic interests\u2014rather than on politicians\u2019 mental health, character and fitness for office. Historically, \u201cmental fitness\u201d and character have been an under\u2011the\u2011table issues. This website brings them into full view as the most important issues in American politics and social life<\/span><\/p>\n

When discussed in politics, if it is discussed at all, mental health and character are discussed quietly in the context of age or \u201cfitness for office\u201d rather than diagnosable mental health concerns.\u00a0 However, n<\/span><\/span>ew research and polling suggest that\u00a0<\/span>mental health awareness is becoming more salient in politics, but this has mostly shown up in policy preferences (support for mental\u2011health coverage, treatment, crisis services) — not in terms of purposeful, systematic screening of politicians\u2019 mental health before or after they are elected. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Unless voters make politicians’ mental health and character non-negotiable litmus tests that trump party loyalty and electioneering promises, America’s political and social chaos will continue under the same flawed voter calculus it has followed for decades. Voters who do not understand this truth are part of the problem — not the solution.<\/p>\n

This fundamental shift in voter priorities is the hidden crisis in U.S. politics that this website hopes to trigger.<\/p>\n

Any serious attempt to \u201cunderstand Trump and Trumpism\u201d has to hold several concepts together at once: personal traits, economic and cultural grievances, identity needs, media ecosystems, party affiliation, fears about status and security, and genuine policy disagreements. Trump and MAGA are layered and sometimes internally contradictory realities — not simple policy issues. Anyone who reduces America’s social\/political environment down to hate, greed, malice, ignorance, stupidity, conspiracy theories, race, culture and politics does a disservice to themselves and all Americans.<\/p>\n

Voters who study Donald Trump: Understanding the Man and His Followers\u00a0<\/a>will learn that President Trump, his followers, and his opponents are all complex people shaped by a dense web of psychology, history, media, and institutions. They\u00a0will<\/span> gain insight into the multifaceted influences\u2014psychological vulnerabilities (e.g. shame intolerance,\u00a0<\/a>fear<\/a>, authoritarianism<\/a>, social dominance orientation,<\/a> institutional distrust etc.) that shape President Trump, his supporters, and critics alike.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Superficial media clips capture raw rhetoric but miss underlying drivers, such as Dark Tetrad traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism) that resonate powerfully with Trump’<\/span><\/span>s base. Trump’s rhetoric appeals to his supporters because it promises to restore social\/economic dominance that they believe they have lost due to incursions of people who are not like them. This deeper understanding reveals Trump’s “shame-ridden core self” in which he projects his fears and shame onto followers who excuse his volatility as genius and strength to avoid dealing with their own fears and shame.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Fear and outrage dominate headlines that fuel cycles of polarization without offering actionable paths forward. Media focus on real-time events avoids complex relational dynamics where Trump’s strongman persona acts as a surrogate for his base’s anxieties. Policy battles become identity wars where facts, logic and reason are irrelevant. Donald Trump: Understanding the Man and His Followers <\/a>avoids policy and outrage while focusing<\/span> on deeper issues like mental health<\/a>, fear<\/a>, shame<\/a> and social dominance orientation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

People who want their information about politics and government in convenient, small, soundbites will be frustrated by what they read here. Their political and religious beliefs will be challenged. They will get a sense of just how complicated Trump, his followers, and his enemies are.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Coming to deep understanding of any issue takes time and effort. Some issues are worth the effort and others are not. True patriots know that the issue of hyper partisanship in America is worth the effort.\u00a0 Readers who make the effort to wade into this website will be challenged and rewarded with understanding of issues they didn’t know existed or didn’t think were relevant to politics and democracy.<\/p>\n

This website is for people of all political persuasions who want to go deep in their understandings of their fellow Americans. It is for people who accept the truth that understanding of the needs of others is a critical foundation for positive change that leads to good government.<\/p>\n

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MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGY ARE RELEVANT ISSUES<\/strong>
\nIntuitively most voters would agree that mental health and psychology are relevant to politics. However, most people avoid these issues thinking that they are topics best left to professionals. Mental health, psychology and character would be discussed more often in the public sphere except for the fact that professionals have ethical codes that limit their ability to comment on the mental health and psychological traits of people they have or have not met. Nevertheless, many professionals have seen fit to report about these traits in general terms that are detailed enough to equip voters to make their own informed judgements about politicians’ mental health, psychology and character from what they observe with their own eyes and ears. How to interpret these traits in real time and apply professional knowledge about them to politicians and voters is the meat of this website.<\/p>\n

Voters are not mental health professionals but those who are willing to study to come to understanding of mental health and psychology basic are smart enough to apply what they learn in this website next time they vote.\u00a0 When that happens, America will be on its way to healing the social\/political\/education\/economic divides that frustrate all Americans. Healing can happen only when judgments about politicians’ mental health and character become normal and supersede the historical values of policy and party loyalty when voting. Change won’t happen in one election or even in one generation, but it will happen if voters get smart about mental health and character as political issues.<\/p>\n

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PRIDE IS AN OBSTACLE TO UNDERSTANDING THAT LEADS TO CHANGE<\/strong>
\nChange hinges on open-mindedness. The obstacle to open-mindedness is pride that says, “I already know enough to make good decisions.” This is especially true in politics and religion.<\/p>\n

Ability to hear\/read and absorb new information will not happen unless there is a willingness to accept that old beliefs are no longer adequate to manage new situations. Sadly, most voters are slow to seek out new information that challenges old beliefs. The exceptions to this rule are independents and crossover voters.<\/p>\n

America’s current social\/political conflicts are, at root, based on traditional, deeply held beliefs about both politics and religion. Recognizing this, strategies for change must be managed with extreme sensitivity. The kind of change America needs will not happen if people from one end of its social\/political\/religious spectrums to the other are not willing to sacrifice their political and religious self-righteousness (i.e. pride.) Pride is the primary obstacle that leads to understanding that leads to positive change.<\/p>\n

Prideful people have difficulty seeking new information. In politics and religion, adherents to a party or a religion get their cues about what to believe from leaders and members of their party or religion. Loyalty to the religion or party creates an incentive for evangelism designed to grow the party\/religion. But loyalty is also an obstacle to seeking or accepting new information that might contradict existing beliefs in the party or religion. When and how people seek out and\/or accept new information is revealed in the following, well\u2011known, psychological patterns that fuel the evangelism engines evident in religion and politics:<\/span><\/p>\n

Moral conviction and identity fusion<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n