Do Trump followers have limerence for him?

[David]

I was approached by a journalist researching for a possible article in a well known US daily publication.

He came across limerence and wondered of there were parallels between the limerence we know well here-the limerence for another person versus limerence that may occur on a more group think level and could it explain the following that Trump seems to garner.

We had an interesting conversation and I said I would post here to get a wider audiences input from people who have experienced limerence themselves.

These were the questions he asked:

Has there been any research or studies or writing that's been done or appeared in terms of limerence vis-a-vis either celebrities or, particular to what I'm writing about: politicians?

If so, what have those studies or what have been like yourself who've been studying limerence found or discovered in terms of limerence and this type of fixation on celebrities/politicians?

Is there any sort of difference when it comes to limerence and celebrities/politicians? What might those differences be?

If there hasn't been a great deal of study on this subject, what are your thoughts on limerence of politicians/celebrities?

It seems to me that societies and cultures over the past 50 years, but in particular perhaps with the rise of social media over the last 10, that it's the perfect storm for limerent relationships with celebrities and politicians? What are your thoughts?

And to get even more specific: do you think that Americans (and maybe Brazilians, Argentinians, Hungarians, the French and other countries that have this rise of autocratic demagogues) have become more susceptible to this type of relationship with their "leaders"?

Do people not have a similar relationship with figures like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos?

How might this phenomenon of the political Limerent Ojbect differ from the charismatic leader (Idi Amin, Hitler, Castro--and of course, the modern-day LO/charismatic leader: Trump)?

What are your thoughts on the relationship among MAGA nation as a whole and maybe individually and Trump? Does it not qualify as a limerent one? If so, why and how? If not entirely, why not entirely? Or if it does but it's different in some way from the limerent relationship that involves two non-famous people, what might those differences be?

Anyhow, without getting into a discussion on the politics of the situation, I thought it interesting to get a wider input.

[L-F]

I just wanted to add my thoughts.

I don't have any information on research related to these queries, so I'll share my perspective only.

It's widely acknowledged that celebrities are often admired and can evoke limerence whether encountered in person, online, through correspondence, or from a distance. Politicians could also trigger limerence, but the question might be, can limerence be considered a social contagion? Or, can a group of individuals influence each other on a limerent level, similar to emotional contagion where one person's emotions affect others? Crudely put, can you have limerence contagion?

Is limerence a solitary condition, ailment, or influence, or can it influence cultural biases and norms? In my opinion, similar to mental health conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, limerence is not socially contagious; therefore, I consider it an individual experience. However, stupidity, on the other hand, is a different story.

[L-F]

But, if you ask a neuroscientist you would get a neuroscientific perspective and I'm guessing, limerence would still be lumped in the individualistic category as opposed to a social phenomenon.
Yet, the intriguing part emerges when considering mirror neurons and, as you might have guessed, contagion. As far as I'm aware, that happens with a one-on-one interaction as opposed to being group-felt

[L-F]

Yet, the intriguing part emerges when considering mirror neurons and, as you might have guessed, contagion. As far as I'm aware, that happens with a one-on-one interaction as opposed to being group-felt

But then, ask an individual who is meditating in a group setting if their experience is enhanced. I believe so. Neither influenced by emotion or thought.

If you use Dorothy Tennov's concept of limerence then according to Dorothy it's a state of mind that looks similar to being in love. To answer the question if many can fall limerent for Trump, yeah sure, why not? No one can predict who they fall for, usually, it's for someone who 'isn't' their type.
But can they influence each other to fall limerent? I don't think so.

[L-F]

Imagine if the euphoria of being in love (in a limerence state of mind) could spread like a contagion, possibly fostering world peace and a throwback to the 70s!

I'm pondering whether it's more about narcissistic contagion. Narcissists are drawn to other narcissists. A 'like attracts like' scenario, or maybe it's about bonding over shared wounds?

I hope others join in so that this thread doesn't turn into an LF thread! I enjoy discussing limerence; it's such an intriguing topic.
I'm also fascinated by the idea of energy work and whether it involves energy contagion - perhaps a form of subliminal messaging or subconscious communication.

[David]

I'm pondering whether it's more about narcissistic contagion. Narcissists are drawn to other narcissists. A 'like attracts like' scenario, or maybe it's about bonding over shared wounds?

i believe its more about this sadly

[L-F]

I'm pondering whether it's more about narcissistic contagion. Narcissists are drawn to other narcissists. A 'like attracts like' scenario, or maybe it's about bonding over shared wounds?

i believe its more about this sadly

Okay, great, a starting point (guess I'm one to go on and on about limerence. Can you tell?)

Returning to the topic of 'wounds' or perhaps trauma, how does it influence attraction? What kind of 'pull' is at play when no one can perceive or understand another person's wounds without them being disclosed (and let's be honest, who goes around sharing all that personal stuff)?

If it's true that like attracts like, I can understand individuals being drawn to similar outward traits and language patterns (such as using the same vocabulary, body language, etc.), but wounds? Is it energy? Subconscious dialogues (silent exchanges that even the individuals themselves are unaware of)?
What is it exactly?

Even when it may seem obvious on the surface (shared experiences), how does someone find themselves drawn to a parallel wound in another individual? Or could it be that to the discerning eye, our wounds are visible to others while we walk around oblivious to the fact that our vulnerabilities are on display for all to see?

[L-F]

In short, narcissists who are attracted to narcissists, is it an internal attraction (if so, how?), or external?

[JupiterTaco]

I get confused at the fact that people keep implying that Trump is a narcissist. Take the most recent events for example the media was going on and on about how Trump was however much poorer that he was and that was followed by a subsequent article about how he then made that money back LOL. I would think a real narcissist would go around whining and getting people to feel sorry for him or in other words painting himself the victim. All I hear from the democrats is how they want Trump's money how they want every rich person's money. And it never ends. I mean isn't California like literally in the negative financially?

Full of homeless people and they still cling to these ideals and of course backed by movie stars with all their money...which I mean really...what do they do for their state? But you know at the risk of opening another can of worms on that subject I'll just stick to the subject at hand...but now Trump just goes back out; barely acknowledges what he's lost. He doesn't even have to fight for what is his he just goes and makes more. It's pretty hard to argue with that I can only hope that I have that level of personal vibration someday. I really think that's the one we want running our country right about now but of course everybody may feel differently about that. There are things about him that I don't like but seriously. And believe me I've done my share of making fun of Trump.

I want to think that I follow him based on his pure business savvy and his history of seeming to understand how money works in America at least. There's no magical objectification behind it for me and there's a part of me that's actually ashamed to admit how much I look up to him and what he's done in the past. Mostly because of what I've talked about on here regarding my issues with race and class and my economic struggles and all of that.

Also what about his haters? They're the ones that seem insistent on stalking and following him and I have to be honest that outside my family and a few comments online here and there have a hard time finding true Trump followers.

[markzily]

Interesting topic! There seem to be parallels between limerence and the intense emotional connections people have with politicians like Trump. Social media amplifies this effect. While specific research may be limited, it's similar to historical fixations on charismatic leaders. More studies on this would be fascinating.