In the midst of the government shutdown, once again we see Donald Trump determined to win a showdown that he himself set up. He has agreed to compromises, then reneged because they didn't result in "winning". We've seen this behavior countless times already; trade confrontations, diplomatic crises, the list is too long to go through. Trump insists that he must be the "winner". What does this say about his personality? What kind of person is Trump?

Oddly enough, I came across this analysis in a forum on the Dungeons and Dragons game, and it fits Trump to a T.

"Good characters see the world as an optimization problem, where the best result is things getting better for people in general.

Evil people see the world as a contest, where the best result is things getting better for them, or if they are socially-minded evil people, for their group.

This means that in general, good people believe in justice -- that things should be fair even if that fairness hurts them personally, because the fairness overall makes things better for everyone, and in particular compensates harms people take that wasn't deserved.

Evil people don't care about it; they care about personal vengeance--getting even (or better) for slights against them, but if someone doesn't get justice from them? Good; they win."

Maybe "evil" is a bit strong to apply to a real live person, rather than a fictional character; but Trump is certainly not concerned with justice for anyone but himself. He's obsessed with retribution for slights, real or perceived; and it's well-documented that all he cares about is "winning" the current confrontation, regardless of the long-term consequences. Trump sees the world as a zero-sum game, and if you're not a winner, you're a loser. The only thing that matters is winning at all costs.

There's no room in that worldview for justice, fairness, or compassion.