Psychologists have been using Donald Trump as an example of narcissism since 1988
When Donald Trump denies you interviews because you spoke with one of his old enemies, there's little left to do as a biographer than to look elsewhere. As the Pulitzer-prize winning author Michael D'Antonio found while working on Never Enough: Donald Trump and the Pursuit of Success, that can mean turning to the extensive collection of psychology books that posit Trump as the epitome of a narcissist.
In all fairness to Trump, D'Antonio notes that recent studies have determined narcissism is "not a disease," but rather "an evolutionary strategy that can be incredibly successful — when it works." There's no question it worked for Trump, but can it win an election? TBD.
In the meantime, the pathologically curious can take a sneak peak at D'Antonio's biography over here at Politico.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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