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Narcissists Rule: Narcissist in Positions of Authority

Uploaded 4/14/2011, approx. 3 minute read

My name is Sam Vaknin, I am the author of Malignant Self-Love, Narcissism Revisited.

I am the author of Malignant Self-Love and I am the author of Malignant Self-Love and I am the author of Malignant Self-Love and I am the author of Malignant Self-Love and I am the author of Malignant Self-Love and I am the author of Malignant Self-Love and I am the author of Malignant Self-Love as well as a or even paranoid fears which lead to obsessive compulsive behaviors and so on.

So to secure their continued collaboration in the procurement of his much-needed supply, the narcissist might resort to emotional extortion, straight blackmail, abuse or misuse of his authority over them.

The temptation to do so is universal.

No doctor is immune to the charms of certain female patients, nor are university professors asexual.

What prevents them from immorally, cynically, callously and consistently abusing their position are ethical imperatives embedded in them through the process of socialization, through the faculty of empathy.

They learn the difference between right and wrong, and having internalized this difference they choose right when they face a moral dilemma.

They empathize with other human beings, putting themselves in their shoes, and they refrain from doing unto others what they do not wish to be done to them.

This is the normal way of the world.

But at these two crucial points, the narcissist differs from other humans.

The narcissist's socialization process, usually the product of problematic early relationships with primary objects such as parents, caregivers or role models, the socialization process is often perturbed and results in social dysfunction.

Narcissists are incapable of empathizing.

Humans are there only to supply them with narcissistic supply.

Those unfortunate people who do not comply with this overriding dictum must be made to alter their ways, and if even this fails, the narcissist loses interest in them altogether and they are classified as stupid subhuman animals, service providers, function, symbols and worse.

Hence the abrupt shifts from overvaluation, idealization of people, to devaluation while bearing the gifts of narcissistic supply, the other is idealized by the narcissist.

Narcissist shifts however to the opposite point, devaluation, contempt, disdain, when narcissistic supply dries up or when he estimates that it is about to.

Then after a phase of devaluation, he discards, becomes indifferent and apathetic.

As far as the narcissist is concerned, there is no moral dimension to abusing others, even if they are only pragmatic dimensions.

Narcissists ask themselves, will I be punished for abusing, exploiting others?

If punishment is not forthcoming, the narcissist feels free to do as he wishes.

In this sense, the vast majority of narcissists have psychopathic, antisocial traits.

Narcissist is atavistically responsive to fear and lacks any in-depth understanding of what it is to be a human being.

Trapped in his pathology, the narcissist resembles an alien on drugs, a junkie of narcissistic supply, devoid of the kind of language which renders human emotions intelligible.

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The Signs of the Narcissist

Narcissists are difficult to spot, but there are subtle signs that can be picked up on, such as entitlement markers, idealization and devaluation, and a lack of empathy. Narcissists are often perceived as anti-social and are unable to secure the sympathy of others. They are also prone to projecting a false self and using primitive defense mechanisms such as splitting, projection, projective identification, and intellectualization.


Narcissist Grooms Sources of Narcissistic Supply: Exploits Tragedy, Crisis, and Misfortune

Narcissists are callous and ruthless enough to exploit the tragedy of others. They are obsessed with the maintenance of their delicate inner balance through the ever-increasing consumption of narcissistic supply. The narcissist regards and treats his sources of narcissistic supply as full-fledged human beings, but only as long as they can provide him with what he needs. The narcissist always evaluates the victims of tragedies to see if they can become sources of supply or can be used as props in the theater of his life.


Narcissist Has No Friends

Narcissists treat their friends like Watson and Hastings, who are obsequious and unthreatening, and provide them with an adulating gallery. Narcissists cannot empathize or love, and therefore have no real friends. They are interested in securing narcissistic supply from narcissistic supply sources. The narcissist overvalues people when they are judged to be potential sources of supply, and devalues them when no longer able to supply him, ultimately leading to the alienation and distancing of people.


Can Narcissist Truly Love?

Narcissists are incapable of genuine love, viewing others primarily as sources of narcissistic supply, which is essentially attention. They perceive their loved ones as objects or extensions of themselves, reacting with rage to any signs of independence or autonomy. There are two types of narcissists: one seeks stability and control, while the other craves chaos and drama, but both reduce their loved ones to mere props in their lives. Ultimately, the narcissist's so-called love is rooted in fear and self-interest, leading to a cycle of idealization and devaluation of those around them.


Self-destruction as Narcissistic Supply: Narcissist's Self-denial and Self-defeat

Narcissists frustrate others to satisfy their masochistic tendencies and sadistic urges. By withholding love, sex, and intimacy, they torment those around them while obstructing their own gratification. Self-denial, self-destruction, and self-defeat buttress the narcissist's sense of superiority and uniqueness, as they prove to themselves that they are the strongest and can overcome powerful desires and emotions. These behaviors and choices engender narcissistic supply, as they demonstrate the narcissist's independence from society, nature, and even themselves.


Discontinuous Narcissist's Multiple Personas

Narcissists lack criminal intent and do not engage in premeditated wrongdoing; their harmful actions are unintentional by-products of their fragmented identities. They perceive their past selves as entirely separate, leading to confusion and anger when held accountable for previous actions. This disconnection allows them to shift personas easily, adapting to new environments and sources of narcissistic supply without emotional attachment to their past. Ultimately, their inability to empathize and predict the consequences of their actions contributes to their amoral and resilient nature.


Remain Friends with the Narcissist?

Narcissists are only friendly when they need something from you, such as narcissistic supply, help, support, votes, money, or sex. They also become friendly when they feel threatened and want to smother the threat with pleasantries. Narcissists are also over-friendly when they have just been infused with an overdose of narcissistic supply. Some people prefer to live with narcissists because they have been conditioned to treat narcissistic abuse as background noise and are compensated for the abuse by the thrills provided by living with a narcissist. However, inverted narcissists are typically unhappy and in need of help, which suggests that they are victims who experience the Stockholm Syndrome.


Narcissist No Toilet Paper: Aggressive and Brittle, Not Soft and Strong

Narcissists have restricted access to positive emotions and rampant negative emotions, leading them to compensate with dominance and abuse. They often call themselves alpha males but are actually bullies. Their mistreatment of others does not make them strong, but rather obnoxious and clownish. They are not capable of true intimacy or emoting, as they are empty inside.


Narcissist as Spoiled Brat

Narcissists require attention and narcissistic supply, and when they cannot obtain it, they may experience decompensation, which can lead to acting out in various ways. Narcissists may resort to several adaptive solutions, including delusional narratives, antisocial behavior, passive-aggressive behavior, paranoid narratives, and masochistic avoidance. These behaviors are all self-generated sources of narcissistic supply. Masochistic narcissists may direct their fury inwards, punishing themselves for their failure to elicit supply, and this behavior has the added benefit of forcing those closest to them to pay attention to them.


Narcissism=Evil?

Narcissism is characterized by a form of evil that is indifferent and often unintentional, as narcissists inflict pain on others without deriving pleasure from it or feeling remorse. This behavior stems from their rigid personality and self-centered nature, leading to a mechanical and thoughtless form of abuse that is more akin to a natural disaster than a conscious choice to do harm. The fascination with evil in society is linked to a desire to confront repressed aspects of our own nature, yet the reality of evil is often banal and bureaucratic rather than demonic. Ultimately, the actions of narcissists and psychopaths reflect a lack of empathy and a prioritization of their own needs over the well-being of others, resulting in collateral damage that is not premeditated but rather a byproduct of their self-absorption.

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