Given a decent theory of the process by which malignant narcissists become so, it follows that denial covers the initiating or repeated narcissistic mortification–whatever imparted the humiliation never happened–and false claims and other lies abet the invention of an undamaged unassailable courageous-heroic self and related projected image. That image becomes the narcissists identity and self-concept with all contrary evidence dismissible–and the same may be and must be accepted by the narcissist’s agents, associates, employees, envoys, family, and friends.
Before one starts playing, “Who’s a narcissists?”–“You’re a narcissist!”–No, you are the narcissist!” and so on, it may be noted that the malignant narcissist has rejected one social reality, that which caused him emotional damage, for another in which he may not only play the hero in his own show, but it’s he who creates the show as an illusion in which innumerable others become party to his madness. The (#)”MaligNarc”–as I refer to the type on X–creates his own theater, and that stage and his centrality in it become his reality. This differs from the normal pride on may take in one’s “powers” as defined by one’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and talents plus energies over time, i.e., the normal endowment of a healthy person. Add a few course corrections and character-shaping habits good or bad for both a normal and successful or, alas, less so but honest sense of reality.
In my first approach to “A Dark Mirror in Language”, I relayed with it the context of Russia’s war of conquest and cultural annihilation taking place in Ukraine. My intent here is to produce a short description not attached to a present–and soon to be historical–fact of life.
First composed on X:
For the narcissist, there is a dark mirror in language. He looks at his reflection in the pond, sees the sky behind him, and he believes he is gazing up toward heaven-and he goes on living in his own reflection.
The beautiful Narcissus of Greek mythology had perhaps youthful cause to enjoy his singular existence and self-absorbed obsession, and before even the existence of the myth the storytellers the loving grace to see in the plant the poetic cause of its form.
The malignant “Narcissus”, more Dorian Gray than innocent youth, may have other cause to view his life as seen in a mirror but lived in the black cold water beneath, a literal “underworld” for fear of the hazards of the reality around him that first imparted his own traumatic humiliation and shame. How much more fit to be admired, agreed with, obeyed for possessing the power to ruthlessly destroy any detractor and richly reward the properly admiring.
Behold the malignant narcissus, criminal, degrading, and ignoble but speaking and strutting as if an admired king, appropriately groomed, wise in the world, and responsive to his cultivated portion of the world’s most responsible advisors, that is a good king and leader, a philosopher-king and an admirable son of the language and soil of his birth. The malignant would not be so lucky as to be authentic but rather presents a fraud, imposter, usurper whose chief recommendations may be ill-gotten wealth and related criminal ruthlessness.
The Malignant Narcissist Lies
As noted, the malignant narcissist needs must lie to cover the memory of his own early and traumatic instance or continuing experience of humiliation and shame. The monster has options:
-Baseless Accusations, Defamations, Slanders
-Claims Without Merit
-Conspiracy to Commit Crimes
-Defamations, Libels, Slanders
-Deflections of Attention In Relation to Crimes
-Denials of Culpability
-Disinformation
-Disingenuous and Fallacious Arguments
-Fabrications & False Framing
-Incitements to Violence
-Sins of Omission
Whatever awful thing happened to him . . . just didn’t. Capiche?
Whatever the crime, he didn’t do it. Someone else must have done it, don’t you agree?
Everything he does is the best, the greatest, over-the-top, platinum, and outshines the sun–bask in his beneficence, nay his glory and magnificence–or be gone!
In his own theater, the malignant narcissist has become the world, and no one else can do what he can do or even really matters much at all.
Contemporary Irrational Actors, Diagnoses and Prognoses
I have circulated on X what follows as part of the day to day combat with–call it what is is–evil.
Signal: delusional, grandiose, messianic ideation absent of normal boundaries and limits, i.e., the parameters of normal conscience.
Process: https://conflict-backchannels.com/2022/07/10/malignant-narcissistic-process-distilled/
Ramifications–>
Putin–https://conflict-backchannels.com/2023/05/03/reference-journalist-alexander-zhilin-operation-storm-in-moscow-aka-moscow-apartment-bombings/; https://conflict-backchannels.com/2023/01/20/ftac-why-putin-wont-stop-until-stopped/.
Trump—https://conflict-backchannels.com/2024/04/22/trump-delusional-and-innocent/; https://conflict-backchannels.com/2024/05/20/a-last-note-about-the-malignarc/.
#Authoritarianism #DelusionalParanoid #Dictatorship #MalignantNarcissism #MaligNarcs #PoliticalAbsolutism #PolitCrims #PoliSci #PoliPsy #Trump #TrumpPutin
Malignant and Reparative Narcissism
With the advent of affordable and popular “broadband Internet”, I chose to “see” the world in English through the foreign publications published in that lingua franca. The experience has been as inseparable from the study of conflict as it has been edifying and expansive. One desktop : one mind. In relation to conflict and malignant narcissism, the theme most evident across the world’s conflicts–we have a bloody busy and busy bloody world everywhere (may most–one would wish all–avoid the worst)–has been what I characterize as “Medieval v. Modern”, i.e., politically absolute systems of power poised against systems of distributed political power–so: Absolute Feudal-Medieval Cultures v. Democratic Modern Cultures. While all private businesses are in their own way absolute, feudal, and medieval in their cultural and social structures, generally speaking, the compacts with governments and the interests of governments have become increasingly integrated and sophisticated in ways requiring greater levels of cooperation in respect to communications and trade. There are no “globalists”, and we are all well defined by where we have been born–the culture of our birth and our language–and who we have become by our own design and by the forces–cultural, financial, political, social–that are a part of our existence individually. In the world of the once mortified malignant personality–someone taught him or her a lesson, I guess–there may be only defense. Lies cover shame; money puts up barriers of all sorts and helps make friends–or hire greater defensive talent–as well. Somehow in our natural mix, we are not all so damaged, or if so have sought solace and strength elsewhere to become more contributing in life than destructive.
Note: I regard myself as reparative and blame that on isolation and spoiling, an odd combination which history I will not divulge, but I may say I’ve had a life with books, cameras, and musical instruments, and being able to say that (close to 70) and for the time being comfortable (at home in an apartment), there’s not much room for anger and complaint. Would that I could change the past with the potential natural decade or two ahead, but have for late stage wealth the ownership of my time. Discretionary time. Free time. And freedom of that sort let’s us do things we choose for our own esteem or pleasure.
Back to theme (my “weave”) . . . .
Take it as a trope: modernity worldwide already involves advanced complex integrated large and sensitive systems demanding interpersonal and interstate cooperation in the appreciation of their existence and related benefits.
In fact, international laws and standards apply and bear down on absolutely every facet of business and related exchange while the space left to criminals, frauds, isolationists, and marauders grows smaller by the day. On the other hand, the presence of the malignant and their role in greater conflict and desperation appears to be growing, and all that really keeps the lid on, where that is possible, are the reparative. That’s a heady thing for me to say, but take mine as a voice from the sidelines. The greater in contribution have presence as responsible academics, diplomats, executives, and researchers who help everything else connect and work. They are modern people in a world engaged not only in trading across boundaries but in addressing a full suite of basic issues and challenges involving hazards and process that have as phenomenon–contagion, earthquakes, hurricanes–only biology or physics for what they do–never conscience. And then there are the malignant who in positions of power behave similarly to natural dangers in their absence of conscience. As a breed born accustomed to punishment, denying it, and holding power ruthlessly so as not to again suffer the same themselves, some become rather their own “forces of nature” acting wholly without conscience and devoid of compassion.
Name the capitals; note the closed, criminal, and dark; consider the malignant–always attacking because always cowardly, defensive, and weak–and consider the possibility that the modern and those who would be modern engage in repairs and the securing of their work primarily to establish a greater good that is not about power and wealth so much as the encouragement and greening of a healthy planet at peace.
–33–
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