"Volatile uncertainty"-- the method behind djt's psychological whiplash

[allegorical oracle]

(originally a Huff Post essay by Dr. Jocelyn Sze)

A psychologist who specializes in narcissists outlined three tactics to stop the “psychological state of volatile uncertainty” manufactured by President Donald Trump, noting as a nation, “we’re squarely in Criterion 1 of narcissistic personality disorder: ‘a grandiose sense of self-importance.’”

snip

“Authoritarian leaders, like narcissistic family members, rely on well-worn tactics to manufacture a psychological state of volatile uncertainty — where outcomes aren’t just unknown, but constantly shifting and unpredictable,” Sze wrote. “This overwhelms the brain’s ability to anticipate and prepare, keeping people mentally off-balance and easier to control.”

snip

“At its core, emotional control is the narcissist’s primary goal: to protect a fragile sense of self-importance and entitlement by maintaining the grand illusion that supports it — without empathy for others,” Sze explained. “… Of the dizzying array of tactics, perhaps the most effective is crisis manufacturing. The constant emergencies aren’t flukes — they’re by design. They keep everyone in survival mode, distracting from deeper issues and ensuring the narcissist stays at the center of attention and control.”

“The Constitution is not just a legal structure — it’s psychological scaffolding against narcissistic control,” Sze explained. “… Collective care and self-care are not luxuries — they are revolutionary acts in times of oppression. Rest is not retreat; it’s how we recover the clarity and cohesion needed to mobilize and rebuild. Join hands. There is strength in numbers and safety in solidarity.”

https://www.alternet.org/send/trump-expert-psychologist