Why Skin In The Game Explains Donald Trump’s Popularity
A day or two before the US Presidential election of 2020, Sam Harris, someone who I admire very much, released a podcast explaining his ‘all of a sudden’ epiphany into understanding why Donald Trump is so popular a figure.
The case he lays out in this podcast is essentially mirroring, in other words, what Nassim Taleb said about the very same topic in his final instalment of The Incerto, Skin In The Game.
Donald Trump signals his flaws. He has taken risks in public before. He is not ashamed of the embarrassments that litter his past. And finally, whether it is true or not, Donald Trump is perceived as credible as a consequence of his signalling. Harris makes the point that what differs him most notably from all other US politicians is Trump’s apparent effectiveness to not signal a sense of moral superiority. Trump doesn’t give you the impression that he’s better than you. Harris goes so far even to say, Trump signals that he doesn’t even aspire to better than you. He is perfectly comfortable with himself, all vices and flaws accounted for.
What Does Nassim Taleb Say About Donald Trump?
Nassim says as much, just in less sanctimonious, more understandable language. He pronounced Trump’s public risk-taking and failing as his source of credibility in a system that is so riddled with liars and fakes.
For better or for worse much of Trump’s popularity is explicable through having copious amounts of Skin In The Game. The question of whether Trump is a force for good or bad is a completely separate conversation, but if you are simply scratching your head trying to figure out why so many people across the world are so devoted to him. Look no further than Skin In The Game as Trump’s source of credibility and relatability.
