Trump Wields His Trump Card

Isn't it Time Animal Liberation and Social Justice Movements Wield Ours?

🍀Throughout my years in school, I had the advantage of intelligence - but also the disadvantage of extreme distractibility. A teacher could be speaking for quite a while before I realized I hadn’t heard a word. Instead, I was watching their mannerisms, posture, tone of voice, how they dressed and moved. I wasn’t just listening; I was observing who they were and how they presented themselves.

😎I’ve done the same with Trump, ever since first encountering him on The Apprentice. I was never much of a TV watcher - partly because as a child, my mother threatened to take it away if we misbehaved. I resented the control and chose to limit my viewing to what I considered “adult” shows, like Howdy Doody (ha!). Later, in 2004, I was introduced to The Apprentice by a boyfriend. Trump hosted the show for its first 14 seasons, and I found myself studying him the way I had studied my teachers.

🐣I oppose capitalism, which I see as rooted in the objectification of animals - exploiting, abusing, and killing them. The word itself originates from early concepts of ownership, possession and wealth, measured by the 'capas' (heads) of cattle owned. Over time, it has evolved and intensified through industry, culminating in today’s system of animal agri-torture and the prioritization of profits over the planet, people, and all sentient life.

🐝 Despite my aversion to a key element of capitalism - the cutthroat competition encouraged on the show - I still found the Apprentice intriguing. Like Judge Judy, it offered a glimpse into a particular worldview and gave me the chance to observe Trump long before he took center stage in politics.

One crucial point: the show was heavily edited. According to former Apprentice producer Bill Pruitt, Trump’s appearances were shaped in post-production to make him appear articulate and concise. In reality, he often struggled to form coherent sentences and remember contestants’ names.

🐓Still, watching him, I noticed things - how he stood, for example, usually with his hands at his sides in a neutral position, possibly exuding both vulnerability and power. Others crossed their arms defensively or clasped their hands together in front, signaling restraint. Trump projected prestige, confidence and an air of humility, with a slight smile of appreciation and receptivity.

🐷Regardless of my deep opposition to his policies - policies that have caused immeasurable suffering at an even greater pace than the empire was already inflicting it - I recognize that for so many to hate him and for so many others to adore him, there must be something in his mindset or strategy worth analyzing.

💜For those on the spiritual path, we understand that many powerful people have used similar principles to achieve success. Books like Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill), The Science of Mind (Ernest Holmes), The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (Deepak Chopra), Leveraging the Universe (Mike Dooley) and many others explore the power of thought in shaping reality.

🌎 These principles apply not just to personal success, but to our movements. We can ‘play the matrix’ (to borrow Dooley’s book title) to counteract the injustices of a system built to serve the wealthy owner class. Though they control vast resources and wield the instruments of the state - including surveillance, coercion and even lethal force - we still have the power to organize, strategize and reclaim control. Through creativity and unity, we can liberate all sentient beings and heal our living planet.

🌞Like electricity - neutral yet powerful - these tools can be used to light the way or to destroy. Understanding them is crucial. This is how athletes, actors and others achieve their goals. Take Jim Carrey, for example: he wrote himself a $10 million check for “acting services rendered,” dated it for Thanksgiving four years in the future and put it in his wallet. Just days before that date, he was offered a lead role in Dumb & Dumber - for exactly $10 million, the highest salary at the time ever paid an actor .

😇We can use these same principles - not for personal empire-building, but for collective liberation. Of course, we’d need to reengineer Trump’s personal growth playbook to empower our movements in alignment with our values:

- Instead of 'Attack, attack, attack,' we can encourage “Unite, encourage, support.“

- Instead of “Admit nothing,“ we can promote “Be yourself, share your truth.“

- Instead of “Always claim victory,“ we can embrace “Aim toward victory and celebrate every win - big or small.“

🌻This brings me to an article by Vishen Lakhiani, CEO of Mindvalley. I’ve long respected Mindvalley’s work and found this piece to be a departure from their usual focus. It explores Trump’s personal growth strategies - not as an endorsement, but as a case study in influence, branding and psychology.

💟I’d love to hear your thoughts … questions, comments and/or critiques. Please put them in the comments.❣️

The Personal Growth Playbook of Donald Trump

This newsletter is going to be different.

Whether you love him, hate him, or just enjoy the spectacle, there’s no denying that Donald Trump is one of the most fascinating figures in modern history. He’s not just a politician. He’s a brand, a movement, a force of nature.

And if you strip away the noise—the politics, the scandals, the larger-than-life persona—you’re left with something undeniably interesting: a personal growth strategy that has propelled him from real estate mogul to reality TV star to President of the United States… and back to the political arena again.

Now, before you throw your phone across the room or start composing an angry tweet, let me be clear: this is NOT an endorsement or a takedown. This is an exploration. A deep dive into the four rules that have shaped Trump’s worldview and, in turn, his success.

So let’s step back from politics for a moment.

What if, instead of judging, we simply observed? What if we looked at Trump—not as a politician—but as a case study in personal growth, influence, and the psychology of success?

What if we examined his mindset?

Because here’s the truth: The man has defied every expectation, broken every rule of conventional leadership, and still remains one of the most influential figures on the planet. He has lost and won, been written off and resurrected, faced scandals and indictments—and yet, his grip on his followers is unshakable.

So, what’s his secret?

What guiding principles have shaped him into the force he is today?

And perhaps most importantly—is there anything we can learn from them?

Visiting Mar-a-Lago & the movie The Apprentice

The picture i took of Trump from my iphone when he joined our dinner

I got a firsthand glimpse into Trump’s world when I was invited to Mar-a-Lago a few months ago. I also have friends who have worked with him, been in meetings with him, and even done business deals with him. The insights they’ve shared with me paint a fascinating picture.

But what really sparked this letter was watching the film The Apprentice. The movie explores Trump’s relationship with the infamous American lawyer Roy Cohn, a man who once defended the mafia and was an ally of Senator Joseph McCarthy during the communist Red Scare in America.

The acting in the film was phenomenal— and the actors Sebastian Stan as Trump, Jeremy Strong as Cohn delivered Oscar-worthy performances.

But what struck me the most about the movie wasn’t just the acting—it was how it depicted Trump’s evolution. It showed his transformation from an eager, sweet, and somewhat naïve young man into the relentless, larger-than-life force he eventually became.

At the heart of it all were three laws that Roy Cohn imparted to Trump. These three rules—plus a fourth one that I picked up from reading The Art of the Deal years ago—form the foundation of Trump’s personal growth philosophy.

Are you ready? Buckle up.

Who Was Roy Cohn?
To understand Trump’s personal growth philosophy, you need to understand Roy Cohn. If Trump is the ultimate showman-turned-politician, Cohn was the mastermind behind the curtain.

Cohn first rose to prominence as Joseph McCarthy’s chief counsel during the infamous Red Scare, where he helped orchestrate the anti-communist witch hunts of the 1950s. He was ruthless, unapologetic, and had a simple rule—never admit defeat, never apologize, and always attack.

When McCarthy fell from grace, Cohn reinvented himself as a power broker in New York, working as a mob lawyer and rubbing shoulders with the rich and powerful. It was during this time that he became Donald Trump’s mentor.

Cohn taught Trump how to weaponize the legal system, how to manipulate the press, and—most importantly—how to create an untouchable personal brand. He wasn’t just Trump’s lawyer; he was his strategist, consigliere, and attack dog all rolled into one.

Cohn had three ironclad rules. Rules that Trump absorbed like a sponge.

1. Attack, Attack, Attack

2. Admit Nothing, Deny Everything

3. Always Claim Victory
   And then, years later, Trump added his own fourth rule—one that would become his ultimate superpower.

4. Relentless Optimism

These four rules became the foundation of Trump’s personal philosophy. And whether you agree with them or not, you can’t deny their impact.

Ironically, Cohn’s own downfall mirrored the tactics he taught Trump. In 1986, he was disbarred for unethical conduct—fraud, perjury, and unethical business practices. His response? Complete denial. Even as his career crumbled, he insisted he was the victim of a political conspiracy.

Trump absorbed all of this. And even after Cohn’s death from AIDS in 1986, his influence lived on in Trump’s philosophy of power and survival.

In the movie The Apprentice, it’s suggested that Cohn mentored Trump and asked him to follow the following 3 Rules of Life.

Rule #1: Attack, Attack, Attack
In The Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote:

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."

In other words: Never play defense. Always strike first.

This was Roy Cohn’s number one rule, and Trump didn’t just adopt it—he made it his core philosophy.

If you observe Trump’s career, you’ll see one pattern repeating over and over again: He never waits for an attack. He preempts it. He overwhelms. He escalates. He turns every battle into a scorched-earth war.

I had a fascinating conversation about this with Richard Branson on Necker Island in September 2024. Branson—who has been quite vocal about his distaste for Trump—shared something revealing.

During the 2016 elections, both Trump and Hillary Clinton invited him to separate meetings.

When he sat down with Hillary, she spoke about governance, strategy, innovation, and policy.

When he met with Trump? The entire conversation was about revenge.

Trump listed people who had wronged him, one by one, and described exactly how he planned to destroy them.

Branson walked out of that meeting shaken.

He had never met someone so singularly obsessed with retaliation.

But here’s the thing: It worked.

Trump’s relentless attacks obliterated his political rivals. In 2016, one by one, every Republican candidate who stood in his way was demolished.

This isn’t just politics. This is branding warfare.

Robert Greene, in The 48 Laws of Power, puts it this way:

“Crush your enemy totally.”

Trump doesn’t just defeat opponents. He erases them from relevance.

But what about those who stand with him?

That’s a different story.

At Mar-a-Lago, I saw this firsthand.

I had been invited to a private dinner for an incoming governor in March 2024. The attendees were some of the most politically influential people in America. And while I didn’t necessarily share their political views, I found them to be polite, warm, and genuinely kind individuals.

But the conversations? Fascinating.

One person confidently told me that 350,000 Chinese operatives had crossed the U.S. border and were waiting for China’s signal to attack America.

Another person claimed that two million terrorists were currently hiding within the United States.

Someone else insisted that Biden wasn’t actually running the country—that Barack Obama was secretly in charge, funded by George Soros.

Now, let’s be clear—I don’t think these beliefs hold up under objective scrutiny.

But what struck me was this: These weren’t angry, aggressive conspiracy theorists. They were polite, rational, and open to discussion.

When I questioned some of their claims, they listened. No tension. No fights. Just discussion.

And then, Trump walked in.

The energy in the room shifted instantly.

I have only seen a handful of people who radiate this level of charisma in person. The Dalai Lama is one of them.

As he greeted the crowd, he pointed at us and said:

"I love you!"

The room exploded.

"We love you, Mr. President!"

"We’re with you till the end!"

It was a level of loyalty that is extremely rare for any leader.

Regardless of what you think of him, Trump’s magnetism is undeniable.

But here’s the paradox: If you oppose him, he will try to destroy you.

And in American politics, that Machiavellian strategy has proven to be highly effective.

Rule #2: Admit Nothing, Deny Everything

If Rule #1 is about overwhelming your enemies with force, Rule #2 is about something even more powerful: controlling reality itself.

This is Roy Cohn’s second golden rule, and Trump has turned it into an art form.

The rule is simple: Never admit fault. Never concede. Deny everything. No matter what.

This isn’t just about avoiding accountability. This is about bending reality to your will.

And Trump has done this over and over again, with astonishing effectiveness.

Let’s look at some of the most infamous examples.

Case Study: The Lawsuit That "Never Happened"

One of Trump’s earliest legal battles came in the 1970s when the U.S. Department of Justice sued Trump’s father’s company for racial discrimination in housing.

Trump’s response?

They didn’t just deny the charges—they counter-sued the U.S. government.

Eventually, the Trumps settled. But how did Trump spin it?

"We didn’t lose. We won."

Factually, this was untrue. But in Trump’s world, it became true.

And this pattern would repeat throughout his entire career.

The 2020 Election: The Ultimate Reality Distortion Field

Nowhere is this rule more evident than in Trump’s handling of the 2020 election.

Every court ruling, every recount, every single legal fact pointed to the same conclusion: Trump lost.

And yet, to this day, millions of people still believe he won.

Why?

Because he never admitted defeat.

Instead, he reframed the entire election as a stolen victory. He flooded social media with claims of fraud, manipulated perception, and planted a seed that no amount of evidence could uproot.

This is the power of Rule #2.

If you simply refuse to acknowledge reality, you force the world to choose: Do they believe their own eyes? Or do they believe you?

And if you’re charismatic enough, bold enough, and unyielding enough—people will believe you.

Trump’s Superpower: The Ability to Rewrite History in Real-Time

A few months ago, I spoke to a seminar organizer who used to book Trump for speaking events before he became President.

He told me something mind-blowing.

There was a seminar where 8,000 people attended.

After the event, he followed Trump back to his suite for a quick chat.

Trump picked up the phone, called Melania, and said:

"Can you believe it? 18,000 people showed up to see me!"

Now—Trump knew the real number.

The seminar organizer was sitting right next to him.

And yet, in that moment, Trump rewrote the past.

Not out of forgetfulness. Not out of a simple exaggeration.

But because, in his mind, 18,000 was now a reality.

And this is where Trump does something most people can’t comprehend:

He doesn’t just lie—he creates a new truth.

Most of us, when confronted with reality, adjust our beliefs. Trump does the opposite.

He adjusts reality to fit his beliefs.

The Big Leap: Trump and the Absence of an "Upper Limit"

Now, let’s pause for a moment—because there’s a fascinating personal growth concept at play here.

Gay Hendricks, in The Big Leap, talks about something called the Upper Limit Problem.

The idea is that most people have an internal thermostat for success, happiness, and self-worth.

When we exceed that limit—whether it’s a big career win, a massive relationship breakthrough, or a financial windfall—we subconsciously sabotage ourselves to return to our comfort zone.

Trump?

He has the opposite problem.

He doesn’t see limits at all.

He expands reality to fit his version of himself.

Call it narcissism. Call it delusion.

But the reality is—it works.

Because the world believes in the people who believe in themselves the most.

This brings us to…

Rule #3: Always Claim Victory

There’s a phrase in branding and persuasion that goes like this:

"It’s not about the truth. It’s about the truth people believe."

And no one embodies this more than Trump.

Roy Cohn’s third golden rule was simple but incredibly effective: No matter what happens, always claim victory.

Even when you lose.

Even when the facts say otherwise.

Because here’s the secret: People don’t remember details. They remember the story. And the story that wins is the one told with the most conviction.

Trump understands this better than almost anyone alive.

He doesn’t just claim victory—he does it with so much confidence that people start questioning reality itself.

The 2020 Election: The Biggest “Victory” That Never Happened

Let’s take a step back to the 2020 election.

By every possible metric—legal, statistical, factual—Trump lost.

The courts ruled against him. Recounts confirmed the results. Every piece of credible evidence pointed to the same conclusion: Joe Biden won.

But Trump never conceded.

Instead, he reframed the loss as a fraudulent victory.

He planted the idea that the election was stolen, and once that narrative took hold, no amount of evidence could shake it. And here’s what’s absolutely mind-blowing—millions still believe it.

Not because the claim was supported by facts. But because it was delivered with conviction.

This is why Trump is still the dominant force in Republican politics today. Because he never allowed himself to be seen as a loser. In the world of influence and personal branding, losing is often worse than being wrong. And Trump knows that.

The Bankruptcy “Wins”

The 2020 election wasn’t the first time Trump rewrote history in real-time. In the 1990s, his business empire was crumbling.

• His Atlantic City casinos were bleeding money.

• He filed for multiple bankruptcies.

• His investors lost billions.

For most business leaders, this would have been the end. But not for Trump.

He never admitted failure. Instead, he rebranded bankruptcy as a genius business move. He walked away from his casino failures richer than before—while his investors got wiped out.

But if you ask him? He’ll tell you he won. And because he never acknowledged defeat, most people never saw him as a failure.

The Inauguration Crowd That “Grew” on Its Own

One of the most blatant examples of this rule happened on Trump’s first day in office.

During his inauguration, news outlets published aerial photos comparing his crowd size to Obama’s 2009 inauguration.

And the difference was clear: Obama’s crowd was far bigger.

So what did Trump do?

He simply declared that his crowd was the largest in history. Even though the photos proved otherwise.

Rather than backing down, his press secretary doubled down on the claim. Suddenly, the conversation wasn’t about policies, the economy, or the future—it was about who had the biggest crowd.

And by the time the media finished arguing about it, Trump had already moved on.

The Power of Reframing Reality

The lesson here isn’t just about Trump.

It’s about human psychology.

• Entrepreneurs sell themselves as billionairesbefore they hit their first million.

• Athletes visualize their victories before stepping onto the field.

• CEOs project confidence in their startups, even when their companies are burning cash.

Because here’s the truth: Winning is often a matter of perception. And if you can control the perception, you can control reality.

When This Works (And When It Doesn't)

Now, this rule is incredibly powerful—but it has two sides.

If you declare victory with conviction, you can:

✔️ Attract investors who believe in your vision.
✔️ Build momentum even when the odds are against you.
✔️ Create the feeling of winning—which often leads to actual success.

But there’s a dark side: delusion.

If you keep claiming victory even when reality is crumbling, eventually, the truth catches up.

• Investors stop believing in you.

• Employees lose faith.

• Your empire collapses.

So the real question isn’t just, “Does this work?”—because it clearly does.

The real question is: How far would you take it? Because once you start bending reality, it’s easy to lose sight of the truth altogether.

And that leads us to Trump’s final rule—his true superpower.

Rule #4: Relentless Optimism

Roy Cohn taught Trump how to attack and deny, but the fourth and final rule in Trump’s personal growth playbook comes from a very different source: Norman Vincent Peale, the pastor who shaped Trump’s core belief system.

Peale’s philosophy, outlined in The Power of Positive Thinking, was radical self-belief taken to the extreme.

His mantra? “If you think it, it will be so.” In other words, reality bends to the will of those who believe hard enough. And Trump has lived by this principle his entire life.

The Power of Positive Illusions

This explains why Trump’s many financial collapses never seemed to faze him. Even when his Atlantic City casinos went bankrupt, he walked into meetings projecting absolute confidence—so much so that banks kept lending him money. He convinced investors that failure wasn’t real because, in his mind, it simply wasn’t an option.

And it wasn’t just business—this mindset shaped his entire approach to politics. Take his presidential campaign in 2016. Pundits laughed at the idea of a reality TV star with no political experience winning the White House. The media dismissed his campaign as a joke. And yet, Trump acted as if victory was inevitable from day one. His supporters felt his confidence, and that belief became contagious.

Failure? What Failure?

Most people, when they suffer a public failure, go into damage control. They issue apologies, explain their mistakes, and try to win back credibility.

Not Trump.

When something doesn’t go his way, he simply acts like it never happened. His businesses collapse? “That was a smart business move.” His administration fumbles a policy? “It was actually a huge success.”

And here’s the wild part—people buy it.

Psychologists call this “positive illusions”, a cognitive bias where people who maintain extreme optimism—even in the face of failure—end up influencing reality itself. When a leader truly believes they are winning, they can convince others to follow them—even if the facts say otherwise.

Trump’s Ultimate Psychological Shield

One of the most fascinating things about Trump’s relentless optimism is how it serves as a psychological shield.

A former White House aide once described watching him walk into a meeting completely unprepared, bluff his way through, and leave convinced he had dominated the room. He had no self-doubt. No hesitation. Just pure, unshakable confidence.

And the thing is, this kind of mindset is scientifically proven to work. Studies have shown that leaders who project confidence—whether or not it’s justified—are perceived as more competent. Even when they fail, people see them as visionaries rather than frauds.

The Real Lesson: When Optimism Becomes Delusion

So, does relentless optimism work? Absolutely. It keeps you moving forward. It makes failure feel like a temporary inconvenience rather than a real setback. It builds an aura of invincibility.

But there’s a fine line between optimism and delusion.

At some point, reality catches up. Investors pull out. Supporters grow skeptical. And if you’ve built your empire entirely on positive illusions, the crash can be catastrophic.

So, the real question isn’t whether Trump’s relentless optimism is effective.

The question is: How far would you take it?

Final Thoughts:
Would You Use These Rules?

Trump’s rules—Attack Relentlessly, Deny Everything, Always Claim Victory, and Stay Relentlessly Optimistic—aren’t just political tactics. They are principles of influence, branding, and personal resilience that have been used by leaders, CEOs, and power players throughout history.

These rules have built billion-dollar empires, crushed opposition, and propelled him to the highest office in the world. They are also rooted in psychological strategies that have been used by the most powerful figures throughout history—from military generals to corporate titans to media moguls.

But they also come with a cost.

When you attack relentlessly, you create enemies who never forget. When you deny reality, reality eventually catches up. When you always claim victory, you risk delusion. And when you stay relentlessly optimistic, you walk a fine line between confidence and blind arrogance.

Yet, these strategies work—at least for a time. And perhaps that’s why Trump, even in the face of indictments, bankruptcies, and political defeats, remains as influential as ever.

And here’s the thing. If you had asked me before that evening in March 2024 at Mar-a-Lago, I would have said—without hesitation—that I was anti-Trump. Not because of his policies, not because of his party, but because I had assumed he was a vengeful, hateful man.

Someone so consumed by anger and ego that being in a room with him would be suffocating.

But that wasn’t the man I met. The Trump I saw was the exact opposite—charismatic, warm, full of high energy.

And honestly? He was just fun to be around. Not the monster I had expected.

And it wasn’t just him.

I had also assumed that the MAGA movement was filled with narrow-minded conspiracy theorists, racists, hateful and delusional people who saw the world in extremes.

But the people I met in that room weren’t like that at all. They were kind. They were generous. They were intelligent. They operated from a different set of facts, yes—but they were open to discussion. They listened.

They debated politely. They were willing to engage.

That night, I had to confront an uncomfortable truth about myself.

A lot of the conclusions I had made about Trump and his followers came from one side of the media. And that had shaped my worldview into a rigid, binary perspective—where certain politicians were good and others were evil.

But life isn’t binary. Everything lies on a spectrum.

And in that spectrum are shades of gray—nuances that get erased when we let ourselves be polarized.

That night, I left with a newfound conviction: the moment you label one side as “good” and the other as “bad,” you stop seeing reality. You stop analyzing people for who they actually are, and instead, you judge them based on the version of them you’ve been fed.

I no longer see the world that way. And I don’t think anyone else should, either. Because the best way to truly see the truth about someone isn’t to assume. It isn’t to rely on what you’re told. It’s to analyze them yourself—to look at them with an open mind, to see both their light and their shadow, and to recognize that we all exist somewhere in between.

So, the real question isn’t just whether these rules work.

The real question is: Would you use them?

If you would or wouldn’t, Click here and let me know in the comments.

Because at the end of the day, power isn’t about being right—it’s about knowing how to play the game.

If you found this interesting, invite your friends to subscribe to our newsletter here.

Conclusion

I appreciated Vishen’s article because it highlighted a point I’ve been making for decades: mindset, attitude and the application of spiritual truths - such as the power of thought and creative intelligence - can move mountains. Just as the wealthy, politically dominant, ownership class uses these tools to amass even more power, so too can we, the people, use them - not for personal gain, but for the liberation of the working class, the poor and all living beings on this planet.

🌸

Vishen points out that Trump’s playbook relies on universal truths - spiritual laws. Vishen, i and many others believe these can be wielded by tyrants or toddlers, slave drivers or (wage) slaves. They have money. We have multitudes. They maintain power through violence, coercion, and the suppression of rights and freedoms. We can reclaim power through unity, love, and the conscious application of these mental tools - rooted in the understanding that all life is interconnected. But this power is only ours if we understand it and use it effectively - something I hope to expand upon in future articles.

🐸

That said, I believe Vishen makes a critical mistake in assuming that people, especially those in the ruling class, are to be best judged only by their personalities and not by their policies. He explicitly states:

“If you’d asked me before that evening in March 2024 at Mar-a-Lago, I would have said without hesitation that I was anti-Trump. Not because of his policies … but because I had assumed he was a vengeful, hateful man.”

Yet many of us recognize that someone can be charming, warm and kind to their friends, family, associates and pets - while simultaneously signing policies that cause suffering and death, not just for thousands, but for millions, and in the case of animals including sea life, trillions.

🌹Vishen urges us to judge for ourselves rather than relying on biased media narratives, which is fair. However, most of us do not have access to the rich and powerful the way he does. As the founder of one of the world’s most influential personal growth platforms, Mindvalley, he was in a privileged position to be invited to Mar-a-Lago and interact with Trump firsthand. But, as Mao pointed out, we come to understand people and the world either through direct experience (primary sources) or through those who witness and report (secondary sources).

🌻For the vast majority of people, secondary sources are all we have - journalists, authors, videographers and those embedded in war zones, prisons, protests, and communities experiencing oppression firsthand. The more we listen to those on the front lines - whether in Gaza, on death row or in factory farms - the deeper our understanding becomes.

Those of us who use dialectical analysis understand that capitalism itself contains contradictions: two opposing yet interdependent forces - the working class (who create all wealth and provide all services) and the ownership class (who control wealth, assets, land and the means of production - including slaughterhouses, animal experimentation labs and war industries). One cannot exist without the other.

😃 Therefore, judging a person requires looking beyond their personality to understand whose class interests they serve. Vishen may have found Trump charismatic, high-energy, and “fun to be around,” just as others may see Elon Musk as playful and happy. But these traits are part of the playbook - one that we, too, can adopt in service of a higher purpose. As Jesus taught, we can be “exceedingly glad,” cultivating joy and gratitude not as a tool for personal empire-building, but as a way to manifest a world of compassion and justice.

That said, while we can adopt these mental tools and strategies, we must also judge people and systems accurately. For whom does a person work? For the oppressive, wealthy ruling class? Or for the working class, the oppressed, and all sentient beings?

🍄It’s policies - not personalities - that reveal the full picture.

If our ultimate goal is to unite the people, free the animals and heal our living planet, then doesn’t it behoove us to master these tools of creative intelligence - while also using dialectical and class analysis to ensure we are not deceived by charisma and appearances?

For only by understanding where true power lies can we reclaim it for the greater good.🌞