The hatred of Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, can be explained by the ego defense mechanism Reaction Formation. Let’s get into it.
Reaction Formation
is simply the hatred of that which you fear you need, or want. It is a Freudian, psycho-analytic concept. It combines repression of unmet desire with projection. Therefore the subject, or patient, can validate and rationalize their lesser status in the hierarchy of social standing within society. Allow me to explain via real life current happenings.
Professor X
is someone I follow on WordPress. X is respected in his field. He is liberal and yet has unpopular positions regarding religion and some cultural fashions. He is my age, retired, single, white; and yet still very active in the academic space. I follow him and he doesn’t follow me. Moreover, I am below him in sphere of influence and social position. (Kick down, kiss up.)
Professor X posts 5/6 times a day on WordPress, 365 days a year.
Often, his posts reference Trump. He, in his own words, “despises” Trump. I have on occasion asked him why. X won’t respond directly to me, but only in a Passive Aggressive Way (= another ego defense mechanism).
Evidence
of reaction formation is substantial. Below, I will lay out the contrast between Professor X and Donald Trump (T). Reaction formation combined with jealousy and envy can lead one to hate – a secondary emotion.
- X is a drinker and T is not.
- X is uncomfortable speaking publicly. T loves it.
- X is asexual (IDK for certain.). T loves sex (With beautiful women.)
- X is childless. T has five children. (From three wives.) All who love and support T.
- X is short (5’8). T is tall (6’2).
- X is not athletic (IDK for sure.) T was & is athletic. (T played baseball and loves golf.)
- X is introverted (Quiet). T is extroverted (Loud).
- X reads a lot. T does not.
- X is a not-widely-read author. T has written several bestsellers.
- X is neurotic (worries a lot); and has insomnia. T is confident, energetic.
- X is abstract, i.e. deals in theory. T is concrete, i.e. builds things.
- X needs an animal pet (cat) for companionship. T doesn’t need, or have, any pets.
- X is a pacifist. T will fight.
From DJT Jr. - X hates guns and wants them taken away. T accepts them.
- X has money. T is a billionaire.
- X has 20k+ followers. T has 30+ million.
The Real World
is where T lives and, notwithstanding, X does, too. However, T doesn’t hate. X hates Trump because T has what X wants. On a sub-conscious level. Or consciously, because X thinks he’s earned it. Yet X lacks what it takes in the real world. X hates T because of, not only Reaction Formation, but also Envy and Jealousy.
In Conclusion
consider the real world. Who are you? Are you what you read, watch, write, do? Or something else? What is important to you? What do you value most?
I am inclined to suggest X should talk with someone. Say, walk across the campus to the Psychology building. However, most therapists are liberal. Because they’ve been taught the current postmodern fads in Psychology, Psychiatry, and analysis. Which are making the world worse, not better. Because the current fads are fantasy based.
By the way, professor X also hates Freud.
Professor X is befuddled by the fact that Donald Trump is becoming more popular by the day.
The more people, such as professor X, hate on Donald Trump, the more popular he becomes. Because Trump has proven, in the real world, that he can win AGAINST ALL ODDS. Trump has also shown, in the real world, that he can come back from being knocked down. (He’s written a bestseller book about it.)
Following up.
Most Americans are struggling or suffering. More so than they were four years ago when Trump was president. Thought leaders, like professor X, are, because of ego defense mechanisms, unable to see or understand this.
Those folks who are doing well fear losing what they have (= Jealousy’s foundation) if an outsider should win. They will lie. Or worse, to keep their position at the top of the social-economic hierarchy.
The world now, the connected global community (CGC) makes all matters of status worse. Because the comparison pool has become an ocean. Moreover, the Internet, the smartphone, social media, etc. makes deciphering truth from fiction almost impossible. We (humans) are not equipped to process this much information. It’s overwhelming.
Furthermore,
as I wrote in Election 2016:
[Horace, a very old soul, speaks in a therapy session:] “I say Trump tells the truth. If the Americans have the guts to elect Trump—whoa zap!—Katy, bar the door! All hell is going to be unleashed.” (p. 79)
We are on the road to hell. Because we did have the guts to elect Trump in 2016. However, we just might get there sooner rather than later. Because folks like professor X can’t see beyond their own egos. And won’t take a chance on therapy.
PS
Using a sport analogy: San Diego Padres baseball fans’ would rather “Beat LA” (the Dodgers) than win the World Series. Why? Because they hate the Dodgers more than they want to be champions. They get off more on hate than love. Hate trumps love.
Yesterday the fourth indictment of Donald Trump came down. In summary they are as follows:
- NYC: for sexual assault in the 90’s.
- Georgia: for election tampering and fraud. November 2020
- Washington DC: for inciting a riot on the US Capital building. January 2021.
- Florida: for stealing, hiding, and destroying classified US government documents. And lying to the FBI. 2023.
Hillary Clinton, professor X, and others are wet with joy.
I’m sad.
Eight years. A long eight years and so much has changed so fast. It seems like. However, some things seem to have remained the same. Moreover, now Trump is without a doubt the most famous face in the world. Ever! Talk about a huge backfire.
Okay I get it – compartmentalization. I’m just not good at it. However, I’m working on it. In therapy. 🙂
Ironic that one of the charges in Georgia is racketeering. Oh my……… it appears to me that when it comes to Trump, our entire judicial system should be put on trial for racketeering. What a joke!
Indeed! First Cause. But then what?
Last night, after the R debate, I watched Trump’s sit down with Tucker Carlson. Tucker asked Trump, twice, about the possibility of assassination should he win. Trump ignored the question. As if he couldn’t even bring the thought into consciousness. (A shrink question.) Then Tucker asked, at the end, if Trump thought civil war was possible. Trump answered: “IDK”. And added he’d never seen such passion in people – both love and hate in the same individual at the same time. (Another shrink question.)
It’s an unpredictable, dangerous space to be in – for every and any one.
We absolutely need a free and fair election. IDK if THAT’S possible.
Thus, I am sad and am trying NOT to drink too much.
Cheers.
Ego defense mechanisms fall under the purview of “Integrated” therapy, or Depth Psychology. Which attempts to allow for flexibility in solving emotional problems – like hate. Or the conflict of love and hate coexisting in an individual.
It’s not easy. It’s hard work; but it works. IMO. 🙂
Another way to think of Reaction Formation is the ancient tale of “Sour Grapes”. I first came across the term in 1968, via my high school Psychology text book. (I wish I still had that!) Freud was, obviously, a student of Greek mythology. Aesop’s fable’s story of “The Fox and the Grapes” predates the Greek reign by hundreds of years. It’s origin unknown and was never written down.
~
So the human ego defense of sour grapes probably has been a survival mechanism ever since we became human. Now, Freud is in disfavor with most therapists. Unfortunately in my opinion. In essence the message is: “There is comfort in pretending that what we can’t get isn’t worth having.”