Robert Jay Lifton Quotes


While Donald Trump doesn't have any systematic ideology, he does have a narrative, and in that narrative, America was once a great country, it's been weakened by poor leadership, and only he can make it great again by taking over. And that's an image of himself as a strongman, a dictator. It isn't the clear ideology of being a fascist or some other clear-cut ideological figure. Rather, it's a narrative of himself as being unique and all-powerful. He believes it, though I'm sure he's got doubts about it.


Citations

Lifton, Robert Jay. "Robert Jay Lifton on the 'Solipsistic Reality' of Donald Trump." Interview by Bill Moyers. BillMoyers.com, 17 Oct. 2017.

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Robert Jay Lifton
Robert Jay Lifton
  • Born: May 16, 1926
  • Nationality: American
  • Profession: Psychologist

Robert Jay Lifton is an American psychiatrist and author, chiefly known for his studies of the psychological causes and effects of wars and political violence, and for his theory of thought reform. He was an early proponent of the techniques of psychohistory.