I worry we've burned 'soft'/mental resources at an alarming rate. Doctors and nurses suffering from anxiety and depression, approaching burnout. We're nowhere near over the peak of this.
The same will be true of other members of society. If there was a break for us at Christmas time, it's been accompanied by anxiety and agitation as the situation was clearly not being addressed. I just feel Boris' last minute rescues and big promises will work for some, but cause an awful lot of stress elsewhere. And stress is not going to help anyone.
He can keep it all under control from his desk - and by it, I mean, popular support. But the situation looks so desperate going forward. I don't know if he understands the stress and worry many people experience. It's anathema to him to 'care too much'. He could have sorted the Brexit deal but played it out to maximum stressy effect on many people. Typically, this involved him playing to the widest audience possible, playing on the relief at him handing over at the last minute what could have been sorted months ago. And at a time of year when everyone was supposed to be taking a break.
I'm afraid I think this is very, very narcissistic behaviour. Playing fast and loose with people's feelings, anxieties, wellbeing. Always coming back to maximum fanfare, maximum attention, as saving the day.
Some people will respond well to his spiel. But others are being burned out. The long term toll in terms of mental, phsyical health and social cohesion is likely to be pretty big. That is absolutely acceptable collateral in the eyes of a pathological narcissist.
But it's the country as a whole that will end up having to pay. Treatment for the walking wounded costs, it will doubtless be harder to recruit people to the health service or retain the service of the talented, and the workforce as a whole will be somewhat less productive and well than it could have been.
This is surely the argument for another leader. Some people can push something through, but usually because they are willing to burn through people and goodwill. He's got something that lets him claw back some goodwill for the country, but it's the human resources that are so worrying. And in this case, we are also burning through cash.
Many, many people have felt his approach exhausting. Brexiteers and included. The question is, when do they pay attention to that? When does the collective keep noticing this is not just them? When do they extrapolate their frustration and burned out feeling from all the ups and downs? Become aware that the cost in terms of mental health and the workforce comes from that same thing in other people? And then start to say, it needn't have been that way? That reserve we burn through in coping, the buffers, could be used much more productively, than in dealing with his narcissism and short termism.
The answer is.... err. Probably not happening.
We are playing his game. In the narcissists game, you do not allow time for the other players to settle. Do not allow peace to break out. Do not allow stability to form.
It'll be up and down like crazy until the last day. And beyond. Constant cycle of arrogant dismissal, last minute u-turn, coinciding with well timed news and promises of the future that never holds together, right until the end.
The reality is simple: a huge fight over the break up of the union is coming. He's been spoiling for it for a while. The union is acceptable collateral for him. It doesn't matter how it turns out. Just that it's the perfect way to keep people upset, divided, stressed, passionate, fighting each other. He knows he can please those who identify closely as English, and paint it to be a patriotic defence against a fight brought on by the Scots and others. Whatever. It will be intense and dramatic, and hog the column inches and headlines every single day. It's the perfect way to prevent anyone from looking back.
And due to the way things have gone so far, that's what every day is going to be like until he is gone.
