If we look honestly at the media much of the world consumes, we should not be surprised that we are living in a time of crisis.
One of the goals of education is to develop the capacity for critical thinking in our young people. This does not mean that we condemn anyone else, but it does mean that we learn to look at people and society from an informed and objective perspective.
I recently finished reading The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, a compilation of essays by experts in mental health, edited by forensic psychologist Bandy X. Lee. There was much discussion as to whether or not Trump is a narcissist, the difference between diagnosing a patient and observing a public figure, and the ethics of discussing a person’s mental health.
Ultimately, Lee and the other professionals felt the need to speak out on this issue, not because they wanted to demonize Trump or his apparent condition, but because he literally holds his hand over the button which determines whether or not life on Earth continues, and his words and behaviour are consistent with those of a person who is prone to compulsive and uniformed decisions.
It is interesting to note that Trump’s own niece Mary Trump, who is also a psychologist, recently published Too Much and Never Enough for much the same reason. She sees her uncle as a very dangerous man and is concerned that our planet will not survive another four years of his presidency.
We need to remember, however, that Trump’s rise to his current position is not simply an American phenomenon. Before he was a politician, he was a global media star. People all over the world tuned in to the Apprentice every week. We followed the soap opera of his marriages, watched him on talk shows and read his books.
The issue, perhaps, is that we have not understood the difference between assertiveness and aggression, nor have we comprehended that healthy competition is not the same thing as winning at all costs. Trump has in many ways done us a favour, forcing us to take a step back from our hyper-competitive consumer world as we head toward a cliff driving 100 km/h.
In other words, by mindfully processing the works of mental health professionals, we can see that we, and the mainstream media which we mindlessly consume, are part of the problem. The Apprentice is not the only reality program which rewards deception, dishonesty, manipulation and lack of accountability. Do we really believe that emulating these strategies will lead to our achievement of peace, happiness and meaning in life?
The issue with uncritical consumption of media also goes much further than reality television. In a recent YouTube video, psychiatrist and narcissism expert Dr. Ramani Durvasula discusses the dangerous relationship myths fostered by fairy tales. Can we really change a self-centred monster into a kind and handsome prince with our love, and then live happily ever after? Durvasula states, “The reality is … antagonistic, high conflict, rageful personality styles are not particularly amenable to change, and most of the people around them … go on to experience pretty significant anxiety and self-doubt from being around them.”
Clearly, we need to make better decisions in all aspects of our lives. To do so we need to think critically and to think critically we need good information.
We are very fortunate to have mental health professionals who risk criticism by offering us useful information with regard to danger signs in human behaviour. We then need to take that information and apply it to ourselves so that we can be at our best. Finally, we need to apply what we know and understand to the world around us, question what we feel needs to be questioned, challenge what needs to be challenged, and make our lives and our world the best that theycan be.
