Tags
authoritarian psychosis, compulsive lying, cult of personality, malignant narcissism, mass perceptual control, political psychology, political theater, psychology of dictatorship
In the varied telling of the myth, Narcissus plays the very flower of youth in its most self-admiring phase . . . except the young man cannot look away from himself, and so in admiration of his own reflection drowns, starves, or suicides his way to death and becomes the flower whose name we know.
The Malignant Narcissist — “the malignarc” hereafter — differs within with the memory of a full-on assault on his own good regard and self-concept, an episode referred to in the literature at “Narcissistic Mortification“. For health, the same covers or denies the memory and moves on with the invention of an undamaged and unassailable courageous-heroic self. As such, the narcissist–so motivated–can never be imperfect or wrong. To prove himself–or defend against a repeat of his own initial humiliation–he then embarks on the manipulation of the perception of others, either to do damage–as with “gaslighting“–or to otherwise deride his competitors and critics while elevating himself to a stature beyond the reach of others seen as imperfect, ordinary, and weak. And so the “Malignant Narcissist“ becomes for himself and the seduction of others plainly villainous to those who can see him as he is while for those captive by force, fraud, compulsion, intimidation, or the promise of patronage, he’s one big daddy–and only he alone may raise them to glory.
On what is today old Twitter’s unbridled cesspool “X” operated by billionaire Elon Musk, I’ve tried to produce in abbreviated form a few cogent observations.
Malignant Narcissistic Signal
As a trope: “delusional, grandiose, messianic ideation absent of normal boundaries and limits, i.e., the parameters of normal conscience“–as much has been my distillation of behavior and speech of what I have seen of Messrs. Trump and Putin–and if they are not “Malignant Narcissists”, the category does not exist.
The “Malignarc” Elevated by Crime and Shielded by Lies
As nature covers injuries with repairs, so the malignarc covers painful memory with denials matched by the invention of normal experiences (that may not have been so normal in real life) and the emergence of a person of heroic quality, i.e., an invented undamaged self. The damage that had been done cannot be discussed, has been dismissed and erased from everyday memory, and if press, the malignarc cannot be honest about it.
Don’t expect confessions.
Do expect crimes (fraud, especially) and lies: baseless accusations; defamations, falsehoods, and frames to deride others; deflections and denials of culpability; fabrications of reality to make events or persons appear as preferred rather than as they may be–or may have been (related: “historical revisionism”; “political theater”; “Potemkinism”); omissions or revisions of discordant facts and histories; projection of the malignarc’s own evil intentions to his targets (related to “baseless accusations”).
As leaders, expect from malignarcs efforts to control casual or popular perception locally, at least, or internationally if that stature has been reached. Expect also as part of Mass Perceptual Control censorship; discrediting operations; dismissal, jailing, or elimination of critics, all commencing beneath a darkening clouds of severe political repression.
The Drowning
In the mirroring pond’s surface, the malignarc sees not only himself but the world around and above himself in reflection, and in the effort to join that world, one perceived as better than the one that did him some damage early in life–perhaps this will become part of a new and modern mythos–he will choose to drown in its cold dark inversion of personal, political, and social reality. He enters his own imagined world, one he wishes to make real, and everything he believes and says may be taken as true–and everything he’s been shown or told has been a lie!
And if you don’t believe him, get lost . . . move on . . . before the same takes an interest in your destruction.
And if you do believe him–better: believe in him–well then, there’s work to be done, but first . . . your pledge of absolute obedience and respect.
An observer would note an excessive adoration and validation given the Great Leader by his minions.
A psychologist would call the same “Narcissistic Supply“.
A grounded and responsible citizen, police, or politician would express concern, warning or alarm.
Related Online
Cartwright, Mark. “Narcissus”. World History Encyclopedia. March 2023.
Greek Mythology. “Narcissus: The Self-Lover”.
Oppenheim, James S. “A Dark Mirror in Language.” BackChannels, June 28, 2023.
Oppenheim, James S. “Malignant Narcissistic Process Distilled.” BackChannels, July 10, 2023.
Wikipedia. “Malignant Narcissism”.
Wikipedia. “Narcissus (mythology).
Wikipedia. “Narcissus (plant).
Wikipedia. “Narcissistic Mortification”.
Wikipedia. “Narcissistic Supply”.
Hashed on X
#CriminalDelusionalParanoidMalignantNarcissist, #FeloniousTrump, #MaligNarcs, #MedievalVModern, #PolitCrims, #PiratesMurderersThieves, #TrumpJackedGOP, #TrumpPutin
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