As a writer, I was thrilled to read the October 25, 2016 New York Times’ article called “What Drives Trump? A Fear of Fading Away.”
The article was based on 2014 interviews with Michael D’Antonio, who wrote a biography of Trump.
I personally know don’t anyone like Trump. In the D’Antonio interview, Trump stated that he doesn’t analyze himself because “I might not like what I see.”
Who does he look up to? “I don’t have heroes,” Trump said. Does he think about lessons from history? “I don’t like talking about the past.” He later said, “It’s all about the present and the future.”
The people I know—and want to know–are deeper thinkers who reflect on their past.
The best part of the article was the lesson for writers. Trump thought that the former talk show host and movie star Arsenio Hall didn’t deserve respect because his celebrity had faded. Because Hall’s star power had diminished, he was unimportant.
All of us writers face that. Even if we make it “big,” ultimately we will be forgotten. (After all, do you remember who wrote the bestselling novel in 2010?)
Does it mean to me that it’s not worth the pain of writing? No. It does mean that I’d better look for satisfaction in the day to day aspects of what I do.
I think everyone should too.