E155: Shadow, Sense, and Trump with Special Guest
James Rapson
E155 Introduction
As someone who has done his fair share of shadow work, it is easy to see the emotional charge and projection of shadow traits onto Donald Trump. Want to trigger and unhinge the left? Simply mention Donald Trump and watch the emotional upheaval that ensues. This has become well-known as Trump Derangement Syndrome. It‘s all very interesting. And why is that? Let’s take a look.
In men‘s work, which has some of its roots in Jungian psychology, whenever a man (or woman) has an emotional charge, it can be a signal that there is a projection afoot.
What exactly is a projection? It is everything you can’t stand about yourself. To be precise, it’s everything you hide, deny, or repress about yourself. All the traits and behaviors and things that you can’t own about yourself, you will find a person to carry those for you. It sounds harsh at first but if you work with it a bit, it frees you and freedom from projections helps everyone, especially yourself.
And how do you know that you are projecting? Easy. You will feel a clear emotional charge (either positive or negative), an aversion or attraction towards the individual or group of people.
So why is the left so unhinged and triggered by Donald J Trump? Through this lens, its crystal clear. The left is projecting a lot of unwanted traits and behaviors onto this one man. Donald Trump is the mirror that the left can‘t look at. I say this with compassion and a desire to assist you on your Hero‘s Journey. Trump is here to teach you something.
Part Two
Would you like to be free of this emotional trigger? If so, here’s how I did it.
Set aside 15 minutes. Take out a sheet of paper and a pen and list all of the traits you absolutely disdain in Trump. Make sure you get them all. Aggressive, narcissistic, inappropriate, rude, selfish, keep going, arrogant, thinks the rules don’t apply to him. Did I miss any? I am sure I did. Keep going until you get them all. Next, you are going to claim all of these projected shadow traits or behaviors. How do you do that? By claiming each one as your own.
I will show you how to do that right now.
Even though I do not have a projection (or much of one) any longer. Now Trump feels like an ally to me. Partly because of this work.
You see, Trump used to trigger me just like you back when I was a lefty. Here is my old list back in 2016. I will list the projected trait and how I can be that way. In effect, removing the projected shadow. You will do this with your list. Here we go.
Trump is aggressive. I can be aggressive in all sorts of ways. I used to be a successful athlete and you don‘t get to be that way without a healthy dose of aggression. I can be aggressive about asserting my opinions, as I do on this show from time-to-time.
Trump is narcissistic. I can be narcissistic and self-serving at times. There have been a thousand times when I have been vain and concerned with my image. Even at my age, a middle-aged white dude, I still want people to think I am healthy and handsome and attractive and smart……you get it.
Trump is inappropriate and rude. I can be this way at times. How? Oh, when I think the other person is being an idiot! I seem to enjoy wrecking peoples pre-conceived notions of things. I can be a provocotuer and be a bit of a bull in a china shop. I have a direct communication style that everyone has experienced, right? And that can come across as rude and inappropriate. I have used a cutting, snarky, sarcastic tone on Twitter to skewer groups that I thought had it coming. You following me?
Trump thinks he’s above the rules. I want to be above the rules? Don’t we all?!?! There is an inner teenager, an inner rebel that thinks that rules suck. Rules are for other people. Now, I follow laws and rules all the time. But there is a shadow part of me that wants to say “Fuck the rules!”.
And lastly (for my list anyways, you will have your own), Trump is arrogant. Ahhh, now we are, perhaps, at the core of the projection. Trump is arrogant. I can also be arrogant. This was the hardest shadow for me to own. For arrogant people trigger me. What does that tell me? That I carry this trait as a shadow. As something I hide, repress, and deny in myself. How do I know this? Because arrogant people always trigger me! So if Trump triggers you, an arrogance unclaimed may be right to the heart of the matter. How can I be arrogant?
Well for starters, I am a former athlete and athletes sometimes carry an “I am better than you” attitude. It comes from years of competing at the highest levels you can. Arrogance can be a coping mechanism. And its not just in sports.
I can think I am smarter than you. Or more evolved, or wiser. Do you see what I am talking about? Maybe I’m more successful, etc etc.I had a woman I was talking with recently who said “I am always the smartest person in the room”. When I pointed out that that statement is arrogant and driven by ego, she seemed taken back and appalled. How dare I call her, the smartest person in the room out. But having grown up in the crucible of men‘s groups, when the shadow shows itself, we call it out. Not in a “gotcha” sort of way. But in a “here is the edge for you, here is where your work is” way.
Make your list, own your projections onto Donald Trump and see what emerges. If you are like me and you do this exercise in an honest and authentic way, you may surprise yourself. And find that there is one less thing causing you distress.
Perhaps most importantly, you have removed a trigger and source of hatred and suffering in the world. And replaced it with compassion, humanity, and understanding. And that, my friend, is what we call alchemy. Nice work Warrior.
E155 Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed that conversation with our friend James Rapson. To accelerate your personal development this week, do the Donald Trump projection exercise. If there is anther person or group that you seem to always get triggered by, then own a projection around that person or group. I will do another episode soon where a Libertarian owns his projections onto liberals. I really love this stuff.
Thank you Basecampers and we’ll see you around the fire next week.