Understanding Trump by Newt Gingrich

With all the vitriol going on around Donald Trump we must ask ourselves, do we really know him enough to react with a clear mind or are we just responding emotionally to the liberal information that is being put forth?

In short, are we allowing facts to determine our reaction or the slanted news vomited out by the so-called news media?

Some will say the author of this book is also a person not to be trusted to be fair. But really? Come on. Use your intellect and realize freedom of speech means listening to both sides. It is freedom of speech not freedom from speech that is guaranteed in the Constitution.

If I sound slanted it is just that I feel to be fair, we must use our right to listen to both sides before drawing a conclusion. Trump is not aware of the game rules, but he seems to be a fast learner.

Books about Trump need to be written and read. He is a compassionate and caring person who is also brilliant and strong. Gingrich presents a person who is striving to do the best he can with what he has been elected to. He has an agenda which be contained in four boxes. He wants to make government work. He has a box for health. He has a box for American competiveness. Box four is keeping America safe.

We need to step back and read and use our brains. We should not let the false news be our only research avenue. False in the sense of putting opinion in the straight news articles as if it is the truth.

Trump’s venture as president so far has been a whirlwind of activity. It is unfortunate that we have plenty of information about Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and not enough about Trump. But here we have a chance to rectify that.

Trump was not born in Trump towers but in a 2,000-square foot stucco house in Queens. He is someone who spent five years in a military prep school not some exclusive private high school. He was not allowed a silver spoon existence. He is more of an entrepreneur using knowledge as a tool to get things done. “He makes certain he knows what he needs to know to be successful at the time he needs to know it,” reports Gingrich.

This is how we learn things—by doing them. “Learning occurs when someone wants to learn, not when someone wants to teach” according to Roger Schank, a former professor of computer and cognitive sciences at Yale University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

If you feel this is not so, read the book and come to your own conclusions. Learn to think for yourself.

Trump has proven to be a fast learner but a firm resister of being taught. A casual chat with him is the best way to impart instruction. He seems to be able to absorb information. He seems to test all that he absorbs as he integrates it and does something with it. He moves fast.

I would highly recommend this book for everyone. I would especially recommend it for those who are open minded enough to want to learn who we have in the White House and are brave enough to consider the Media is not telling us all.

It is 345 pages. It is published by Hachette Book and is $27.00 in the United States.

The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin

Everyone likes to be able to understand themselves and others. It just seems to be a need. The unexplored self is not worthy to be presented to the world.

There have been many attempts to understand just what makes a person different. Some have called it temperaments, others have tried to say it is life experiences.

We all have expectations. They boil down to external and internal. Examples would be the work deadline and New Year’s resolutions. How we meet these expectations can be seen in response to them.

It is hardwired into us from birth, if I understand the point Rubin is presenting here.

The types she presents are four. 

They are: Upholder, Obligator, Rebel, and Questioner.

 The Upholder tendency is to do the things that are right both inwardly and externally. They tend to love schedules both keeping and making them. They tend to follow through on plans.

The Obligator will tend to do anything you ask even if it will inconvenience him. The moto would be by serving others I am serving myself.

The Rebel will tend to resist expectations. They will do things on their own schedule or not at all.  They want it to be their own choice to act.

The questioner will tend to research before following through. If you can convince them that it is necessary, they will act.

Each tendency has strengths and weaknesses so there is no best tendency. And even if there were, since they are hardwired from birth, you couldn’t change them.

Tendencies are seen in all aspects of life. Childhood, teenager, adult, work, retirement, marriage.

Rubin gives in a nutshell what a person should remember if they want to influence other tendencies.

“Upholders want to know what should be done.

Questioners want justifications.

Obligators need accountability.

Rebels want freedom to do something their own way.”

In short, there is no one size fits all when it comes to tendencies.

A good example would be the college student who has a report to do. He has known it was a requirement of the class since the beginning of the year. The prof has said it is part of his grade.

The Upholder does the paper and has it ready before time. After all, he has scheduled out the time for collecting information and outlining the paper and completing it.

The Obligator will do the paper as required because he honors the requirement. He has met his inner need to be a good student.

The Questioner will research, and research try to find the most obscure facts to put in his paper before realizing he has not much time left to complete the assignment. Then he will do it.

The Rebel will procrastinate and set up his own schedule for when to do the paper. He may or may not meet the deadline.

There is also a discussion of what can be expected when the tendencies fall in love and get married, that is very helpful as no relationship is doomed.

I found this book to be very informative. It will be useful for the general understanding of people. I would recommend it.

This book is $24.00. It is published by Harmony Books.