The man divided against himself looks for excitement and distraction; he loves strong passions, not for sound reasons, but because for the moment they take him outside himself and prevent the painful necessity of thought. Any passion is to him a form of intoxication, and since he cannot conceive of fundamental happiness, all relief from pain appears to him solely possible in the form of intoxication.
Source: Bertrand Russell: The Conquest of Happiness, 1930, chap.7:the sense of sin
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It is unclear whether Donald Trump is truly a man divided against himself, but much of Russell's description of such a person seems to apply to him.
A mindset that constantly seeks excitement and distraction. Even in the face of major natural or human disasters, his interest often takes precedence, unless they directly affect him or his family. He identifies imaginary enemies or scapegoats and rallies people with slogans like "Take them down!"
The media, too, amplifies this dynamic by highlighting Trump’s every move, further stimulating the attention of a wide audience.
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