I’m going to talk about Trump for a minute here. The facts being what they are, he is a middling businessman who got really big off of name recognition. As a human he has his flaws, but he isn’t the absolute worst. He is a narcissist who refuses to back down or ever be wrong. I’d bet we all know a Trump in our lives. I am also willing to bet that we know that person well enough to keep them at a certain distance because we get they are full of crap and, more importantly, we get that possess a certain charisma which draws people to them–especially those who are looking for someone strong enough to say what they think and feel and strong enough to throw their belief behind.
Trump is a church and his words are the scripture. Whatever he says or writes is treated like gospel and whomever chooses to stand against him is made of something evil. This problem–and it is a problem–is compounded by secondary groups and hanger ons who are truly evil and or do have malicious intent and or do want to light the fuse on the powder keg so that something happens. Side note: If you spend your entire existence preparing for a conflict that will never come, have you failed? Should you feel like you ought to usher in that conflict, because you know you’re ready and you want to be able to help so that it ends the way you believe it ought to?
What we say has power. What we say can be used in terrible ways and to convince people to give of themselves in order to strengthen us. This is an ability that charisma creates. Know the power of what you say and be careful how you use that power.