The majority of people with TDS are "normal", or at least normies with normal appearance. In my case some of my old friends have ghosted me, and with others we just avoid talking politics.
This reminded me of something I've noticed about Trump's speaking "style".
He frequently (and I am
certain, purposefully) is vague about specifics on issues that he brings up in his speeches. This is a technique to let or require (yes
require) the mind of the listener to come up with the details on his/her own.
Meanwhile he drones on in a monotone voice, putting words into your ears that your brain wants to try to process. At the same time your brain is still trying to fill in the details of the first issue. The monotone drone of the second part infiltrates into your conscience, maybe even into your subconscience, while higher brain function is trying to work out the unspecified details of the initial statement. Why? Big question. (I think I know the answer.)
More importantly,
he doesn't finish all of his sentences.
On purpose. He does this A LOT. In a long rally, it can be dozens of times. The playbook is this: 1) He will not finish a sentence, 2) he will pause (as if to finish the sentence), and then 3) he begins a new sentence on a different topic. The second sentence might begin with him saying something like "Because you know..." or "Because (this or that)"
Sometimes the second sentence is on a slightly different topic. Other times it is a completely different direction of thought. THIS. IS. HUGE. (pun intended)
100% beyond a shadow of a doubt this is intentional. And practiced. Practiced to a high degree of refinement
over decades.
It is a brain hijack technique. No doubt, complete certainty on this. This is neurolinguistic programming. NLP. I learned about it in the 1990s, when the techniques were rudimentary. At least, the publicly taught techniques were. Maybe billionaires like Trump had the advanced kit 30 years ago.
Cutting to the chase, 2 things: 1) this mind influencing technique makes people who are pre-disposed to liking him and his policies, actually love him and become devoted to him. As Trump himself said in the 2016 campaign, he could shoot someone and not lose his supporters.
2) this mind influencing technique is torture to people who hate his policies. Pure torment. And that is the cause of TDS, IMHO. Trump is subconsciouly influencing them in favor of policies they hate with all their being. This causes immense cognitive dissonance on a conscious level. Cognitive dissonance on a subconscious level is one thing, but when it bubbles up to the surface it is amplified as a splinter in the mind's eye. Which torments.
3) Leftists usually have very poor diets anyway. They avoid meat. Many are vegetarians or even vegan. Such a diet will make anyone mentally ill, even if they were to live alone with no politics inserted into their lives. Simply because they are nutrient-deficient. A person cannot have a healthy brain on a vegan diet. And it's a sliding scale - the less animal products you eat, the more your brain health suffers.
Then along comes Trump with his mind-influencing techniques, and these poor people are simply going to get triggered. It's unavoidable.