United States | News & Politics

This analysis is spot-on. And it’s not limited to Trump. There are malicious actors in all parts of life who use the same strategy.

Next time you’re in a meeting and that one guy takes up most of the time talking about nothing while sometimes making himself look like an idiot? Well, that’s time he doesn’t have to spend doing real work or answering real questions. He’s driving whatever discussion there is, leaving little time for everyone else to discuss and plan. It’s often not an accident.

However, even when it is, this is survival of the fittest in action: our society selects for this type of person; behaving in this manner tends to ensure survival of the individual, even when it’s to the detriment of the group. As long as the group can eventually work around the person, it’s a successful strategy.

So just like a lawyer or doctor or engineer or parent or artist or security analyst has to stay focused, keep perspective, and work intelligently to spend time on the wins that count, the same goes for politics and Trump. Don’t focus on what his team says, focus on how society is affected, and figure out the best response to that negative impact, not the latest news-bite.

And yeah, I think that even in Trump’s case, it’s not all intentional; he’s just risen to the top because society selects for blowhards like him unless there are intentional safeguards put in place. And others on his team have come up with strategies to slowly but surely dismantle the safeguards that were in place.

The solution isn’t to throw up your hands; it’s like with a kid throwing a tantrum; ignore the hubris and continue to not give them the cookie, and don’t treat them as if they’re going to respond rationally. They’ll respond to strength and action, and still take any opportunity you give them to push the boundaries.