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On this episode, Michael Meade tells an older version of the classic story "The Emperor's New Clothes" as a way of shining a psychological light on the current President. He explains the old meaning of the word king as a way of considering what qualities make a ruler truly legitimate. In laying out a psychological rather than political assessment, Meade argues that the deep personal insecurity and narcissism of the president make the entire country less secure.
In the modern version of the emperor without clothes the entire country must become the source of attention and adoration so desperately and constantly needed by the narcissistic ruler. In that sense, the issue is not that the recent election was not legitimate, although that may turn out to be the case as well. Rather, the underlying issues of psychological illegitimacy create a chronic sense of insecurity that can endanger the security of the entire nation.
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