Trump lies when confronted with the truth, since any crack in

In the words of Richard Cohen: “Trump lies when confronted with the truth, since any crack in his narcissism might spread like an Ebola of the soul, and he would deflate like one of Macy’s balloons on the Friday after Thanksgiving.” This saying, clothed in satire yet sharpened with gravity, speaks not merely of a man, but of the nature of falsehood, pride, and the fragility of the self built upon illusion. It reminds us that those who live by deception cannot abide the light of truth, for truth is the fire that melts the wax of vanity and reveals the hollow form beneath.

The ancients knew this peril well. They told of kings who wrapped themselves in praise and flattery, shunning honest counsel lest their illusions be broken. Xerxes, who lashed the sea for daring to resist him, or Caligula, who demanded to be worshipped as a god, both reveal the same truth Cohen names: when a man’s narcissism is his armor, even the smallest crack can unravel his soul. And so, like a fragile vessel, he covers the wound not with healing but with lies, multiplying deception until reality itself is obscured.

Cohen likens this corruption to an Ebola of the soul—a disease that spreads swiftly, devouring from within, leaving only weakness where once there was strength. Here lies the power of the metaphor: a single lie, when rooted in pride, breeds another, then another, until the spirit is consumed. The body may walk, the voice may thunder, but the soul within is rotting. This is the fate of those who cannot face truth with humility.

The image of the deflated balloon, once towering above the crowds of Thanksgiving, now collapsed upon the cold pavement, is equally powerful. Pride without honesty is like air without substance: it gives the appearance of greatness, but only so long as it is inflated by lies. The moment truth pierces it, the illusion collapses. The mighty figure becomes a crumpled shell, revealing that his strength was never real, only borrowed from the breath of deceit.

History offers us warnings. Consider Napoleon Bonaparte, who rose on ambition and brilliance, but whose pride could not endure the truth of his limits. When confronted with failure in Russia, he could not admit defeat; his narcissism demanded he cloak disaster in rhetoric. The result was ruin, not only for himself but for the countless lives entrusted to him. Pride shielded him from truth, but it also blinded him, leading him into folly. Cohen’s words echo this lesson: the refusal to face truth is not strength—it is weakness disguised as defiance.

The lesson is clear: beware the seduction of lies, whether in leaders or within ourselves. To build one’s life upon deception is to build upon sand; it may stand for a moment, but the storm of reality will come, and the collapse will be great. True greatness lies not in never being wrong, but in admitting fault, learning, and growing. The one who lies to protect his pride destroys himself; the one who accepts the wound of truth becomes stronger for it.

Practical action flows from this wisdom: demand honesty from your leaders, but also from yourself. Do not excuse falsehoods, even when they flatter or soothe, for every lie is a crack that spreads. Teach your children that humility is greater than pride, that the courage to face truth is nobler than the power to deny it. And in your own heart, beware the temptation to hide behind illusions, for to confront reality, however painful, is to preserve the health of the soul.

Thus, Cohen’s words, though wrapped in biting humor, carry an ancient warning. The narcissist who refuses truth will eventually collapse like the hollow balloon after Thanksgiving, his grandeur revealed as emptiness. But the humble, who accept the cracks and endure the pain of truth, will stand unshaken. For it is not pride that sustains the soul, but honesty, courage, and the strength to live in the light of reality.