Angela Merkel Speaks with Donald Trump at the Quebec G7
Photograph by Jesco Denzel Chosen by Jörg M. Colberg
Here he is, the most powerful man on the planet, Donald Trump, currently also the most famous embodiment of the toxic narcissistic male who underpins so many of the various populist/neo-fascist movements all over the world. It’s a telling picture. It’s equally telling that what is being revealed, what has, in fact, been known for years now, is unlikely to change anyone’s mind: resisting those around him, the toxic man is reduced to acting like a toddler whose defiance is expressed in his body language and in that vacant stare.You can tell me whatever you want, but I will do whatever I want – that’s the message.
In contrast, the only woman in the picture, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, does indeed look like a ‘mama’. That’s her nickname in Germany ( Mutti), because of her approach to solving problems: patiently waiting until they go away while relying on common sense. Both approaches to dealing with people – the man’s toxic narcissism and the woman’s passive resigned reliance on sense making sense eventually – are currently showing their shortcomings. Which one will prevail we currently don’t know. I would like to believe that, as Martin Luther King said, “The moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
Beyond our common larger good, though, there is that insidious challenge posed by the toxic narcissist to his fellow men:Are you with me? The many women who have contributed to #MeToo are not. Every man has to face the challenge for himself: how much of that toxic narcissism do you have in you? How much of that can you, and do you, want to get rid off? However terrible our times are right now, they provide us men with a teachable moment, with an opportunity to come to grips with what it means to be a man. Jörg M. Colberg is a writer and photographer based in Northampton (Massachusetts, USA). He has been writing about photography on his website Conscientious.com since 2002. He is an assistant professor of photography at Hartford Art School, University of Har tford.