Donald Trump's Shallow Affect Poses Existential Risk

Key Quotes

"The president of the United States is celebrating the murder of Rob Reiner and his wife. It is at first impossible to believe that what follows isn’t satire. Then it becomes heart-breaking that it isn’t satire. Then it becomes infuriating. Finally it becomes more evidence that every minute this man is permitted to REMAIN president -- the rest of us -- the rest of us in the WORLD -- are in mortal danger."

Keith Olbermann argues that the President's reaction to Rob Reiner's death demonstrates a profound danger to the world. Olbermann suggests that the President's ability to frame such a tragedy around himself indicates a detachment from reality that could lead to catastrophic actions. This quote highlights the perceived threat posed by the President's alleged self-centeredness and its potential global implications.

"Trump really believes that Rob Reiner “passed away... due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with... Trump Derangement Syndrome.”"

Keith Olbermann points out the President's specific claim regarding Rob Reiner's death, attributing it to "Trump Derangement Syndrome." Olbermann presents this as evidence of the President's distorted worldview, where criticism is perceived as a personal affliction causing death. This quote encapsulates the core of Olbermann's argument about the President's alleged inability to comprehend events outside of his own narrative.

"Trump’s ability to make everything about HIM -- his need to be, as the old dark joke goes, the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral -- is not some kind of act. You will recall his reaction to 9/11 -- that it made HIM the owner of the SECOND tallest building in downtown Manhattan, not just the third. It crested when he publicly speculated that a baseball player broke his ankle because he sold his apartment in a Trump building."

Keith Olbermann uses historical examples to illustrate the President's consistent pattern of self-centeredness. Olbermann argues that this behavior, exemplified by reactions to 9/11 and a baseball player's injury, is not performative but a fundamental aspect of the President's personality. This quote serves to establish a long-standing behavioral trait that Olbermann believes underpins the President's current actions.

"It is called Shallow Affect and it means in essence that you do not KNOW how actual normal humans interact nor what causes the events in THEIR lives. You cannot CONCEIVE of their lives. You look at a picture of the world and you see only you. You look in a mirror and you correctly see YOU but you are firmly convinced that when OTHERS look in THEIR mirrors... they ALSO see only you."

Keith Olbermann introduces the psychological concept of "Shallow Affect" to explain the President's perceived lack of empathy and understanding of others. Olbermann defines Shallow Affect as an inability to grasp the experiences and motivations of other people, seeing them only in relation to oneself. This quote provides a technical term and its definition to characterize the President's alleged psychological state.

"Human beings do not believe these things. Trump does. It means he can believe - and do - anything."

Keith Olbermann concludes that the President's unique belief system, characterized by Shallow Affect, grants him the capacity for extreme actions. Olbermann posits that because the President does not operate under the same assumptions as most people, his actions are unbound by conventional human understanding. This quote summarizes Olbermann's assertion that the President's detachment from normal human cognition makes him unpredictable and potentially dangerous.