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 law

Basecamp for Men E155: Shadow, Sense, and Donald Trump