There has been much discussion about Joe Biden’s cognitive decline as well as his frequent failure to master basic syntax. Yet, there is more than simple befuddlement to be unearthed from the verbal utterances of the man who occupies the office of the presidency. His repetition of specific phrases is not merely odd; it is revealing of a troubling psychological mindset.
Seriously, Folks
Mr. Biden is often heard saying the following:
I’m not kidding here.
This is no joke.
This isn’t hyperbole.
Not a joke, not a joke.
I’m not joking.
I’m not being a wise guy now.
Seriously, folks.
Why would the American people think the president is always joking about things that are not funny? Further, why does Biden believe that no one is taking him seriously? This speaking style is not new; it has been going on for a while now. An article – in The New York Times, of all places – tapped into this bizarre verbal behavior of Mr. Biden in 2019. Katie Glueck pointed out, “To underscore the importance of a message he is seeking to make, Mr. Biden often uses phrases such as “not a joke,” “that’s not hyperbole,” “literally” and “I’m serious.” She goes on to spell out other verbal anomalies, which she calls “verbal tics,” that are “collectively known as Bidenisms.” This is unsurprisingly a generous assessment, but what if something more sinister is at work here?
More recently, the popular podcast No Agenda hosted by Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak noted this bizarre verbal behavior. Astute observers of the politisphere, the entertaining and irreverent duo put together a medley of Biden’s Impostor-speak. Dvorak introduces it here:
Some experts suggest these phrases reveal a psychological pattern of “internalized fear” or of being “exposed as a fraud.” Labeled the Impostor Syndrome, the president’s verbal peculiarity is not an “official psychiatric diagnosis,” according to Psychology Today, but rather the manifestation of an unconscious behavior driven by those who struggle with self-worth and perfectionism. Deeply seated in the subconscious of someone with Impostor Syndrome lies anxiety that “may be indicative of specific fears such as the fear of responsibility, making a mistake, uncertainty, or an identity shift.”
Joe Biden
(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
As well, experts note several types of Impostor Syndrome. The first is “I’m a fraud.” One Ph.D. summed up Type #1 this way: “The root fear here is that you will be revealed or unmasked. You often feel as if this is the day your true self will be dug up and exposed.” Type #2 is called “It’s just luck.” This type of impostor feels he or she is “not smart (or talented or qualified), I just work hard.” And Type #3 is known as “Oh, this old thing?” which indicates someone not able to take a compliment or who feels driven to express false modesty.
The leftist media has identified Biden as a kindly, gentle man of great wisdom. Often their portrayals of the president are diametrically opposed to his actions. His calls for bipartisanship and unity while using divisive terms like “Jim Crow,” in reference to new election laws, are but one example of this incongruous characterization. His irrational anger at those who oppose him – from voters to friendly reporters – is another.
If we take Joe Biden at his word, we find the psychological footprint of someone with assorted neuroticisms. Why would his speaking style unconsciously signal that he believes himself a fraud? We’ll let the reader determine that for themselves.
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Read more from Leesa K. Donner.
