| The perpetrators of the recent spate of
| |
| | capricious, emotionally dangerous world
|
| financial frauds in the USA acted with
| |
| | that he occupies. But, at the same time,
|
| callous disregard for both their
| |
| | it fosters in him a false sense of
|
| employees and shareholders - not to
| |
| | "nothing can happen to me, because I am
|
| mention other stakeholders. Psychologists
| |
| | not here, I am not available to be
|
| have often remote-diagnosed them as
| |
| | punished, hence I am immune to
|
| "malignant, pathological
| |
| | punishment".The comfort of false immunity
|
| narcissists".Narcissists are driven by
| |
| | is also yielded by the narcissist's sense
|
| the need to uphold and maintain a false
| |
| | of entitlement. In his grandiose
|
| self - a concocted, grandiose, and
| |
| | delusions, the narcissist is sui generis,
|
| demanding psychological construct typical
| |
| | a gift to humanity, a precious, fragile,
|
| of the narcissistic personality disorder.
| |
| | object. Moreover, the narcissist is
|
| The false self is projected to the world
| |
| | convinced both that this uniqueness is
|
| in order to garner "narcissistic supply"
| |
| | immediately discernible - and that it
|
| - adulation, admiration, or even
| |
| | gives him special rights. The narcissist
|
| notoriety and infamy. Any kind of
| |
| | feels that he is protected by some
|
| attention is usually deemed by
| |
| | cosmological law pertaining to
|
| narcissists to be preferable to
| |
| | "endangered species".He is convinced that
|
| obscurity.The false self is suffused with
| |
| | his future contribution to others - his
|
| fantasies of perfection, grandeur,
| |
| | firm, his country, humanity - should and
|
| brilliance, infallibility, immunity,
| |
| | does exempt him from the mundane: daily
|
| significance, omnipotence, omnipresence,
| |
| | chores, boring jobs, recurrent tasks,
|
| and omniscience. To be a narcissist is to
| |
| | personal exertion, orderly investment of
|
| be convinced of a great, inevitable
| |
| | resources and efforts, laws and
|
| personal destiny. The narcissist is
| |
| | regulations, social conventions, and so
|
| preoccupied with ideal love, the
| |
| | on.The narcissist is entitled to a
|
| construction of brilliant, revolutionary
| |
| | "special treatment": high living
|
| scientific theories, the composition or
| |
| | standards, constant and immediate
|
| authoring or painting of the greatest
| |
| | catering to his needs, the eradication of
|
| work of art, the founding of a new school
| |
| | any friction with the humdrum and the
|
| of thought, the attainment of fabulous
| |
| | routine, an all-engulfing absolution of
|
| wealth, the reshaping of a nation or a
| |
| | his sins, fast track privileges (to
|
| conglomerate, and so on. The narcissist
| |
| | higher education, or in his encounters
|
| never sets realistic goals to himself. He
| |
| | with bureaucracies, for instance).
|
| is forever preoccupied with fantasies of
| |
| | Punishment, trusts the narcissist, is for
|
| uniqueness, record breaking, or
| |
| | ordinary people, where no great loss to
|
| breathtaking achievements. His verbosity
| |
| | humanity is involved.Narcissists are
|
| reflects this propensity.Reality is,
| |
| | possessed of inordinate abilities to
|
| naturally, quite different and this gives
| |
| | charm, to convince, to seduce, and to
|
| rise to a "grandiosity gap". The demands
| |
| | persuade. Many of them are gifted orators
|
| of the false self are never satisfied by
| |
| | and intellectually endowed. Many of them
|
| the narcissist's accomplishments,
| |
| | work in in politics, the media, fashion,
|
| standing, wealth, clout, sexual prowess,
| |
| | show business, the arts, medicine, or
|
| or knowledge. The narcissist's
| |
| | business, and serve as religious
|
| grandiosity and sense of entitlement are
| |
| | leaders.By virtue of their standing in
|
| equally incommensurate with his
| |
| | the community, their charisma, or their
|
| achievements.To bridge the grandiosity
| |
| | ability to find the willing scapegoats,
|
| gap, the malignant (pathological)
| |
| | they do get exempted many times. Having
|
| narcissist resorts to shortcuts. These
| |
| | recurrently "got away with it" - they
|
| very often lead to fraud.The narcissist
| |
| | develop a theory of personal immunity,
|
| cares only about appearances. What
| |
| | founded upon some kind of societal and
|
| matters to him are the facade of wealth
| |
| | even cosmic "order" in which certain
|
| and its attendant social status and
| |
| | people are above punishment.But there is
|
| narcissistic supply. Witness the
| |
| | a fourth, simpler, explanation. The
|
| travestied extravagance of Tyco's Denis
| |
| | narcissist lacks self-awareness. Divorced
|
| Kozlowski. Media attention only
| |
| | from his true self, unable to empathise
|
| exacerbates the narcissist's addiction
| |
| | (to understand what it is like to be
|
| and makes it incumbent on him to go to
| |
| | someone else), unwilling to constrain his
|
| ever-wilder extremes to secure
| |
| | actions to cater to the feelings and
|
| uninterrupted supply from this source.The
| |
| | needs of others - the narcissist is in a
|
| narcissist lacks empathy - the ability to
| |
| | constant dreamlike state.To the
|
| put himself in other people's shoes. He
| |
| | narcissist, his life is unreal, like
|
| does not recognize boundaries - personal,
| |
| | watching an autonomously unfolding movie.
|
| corporate, or legal. Everything and
| |
| | The narcissist is a mere spectator,
|
| everyone are to him mere instruments,
| |
| | mildly interested, greatly entertained at
|
| extensions, objects unconditionally and
| |
| | times. He does not "own" his actions. He,
|
| uncomplainingly available in his pursuit
| |
| | therefore, cannot understand why he
|
| of narcissistic gratification.This makes
| |
| | should be punished and when he is, he
|
| the narcissist perniciously exploitative.
| |
| | feels grossly wronged.So convinced is the
|
| He uses, abuses, devalues, and discards
| |
| | narcissist that he is destined to great
|
| even his nearest and dearest in the most
| |
| | things - that he refuses to accept
|
| chilling manner. The narcissist is
| |
| | setbacks, failures and punishments. He
|
| utility- driven, obsessed with his
| |
| | regards them as temporary, as the
|
| overwhelming need to reduce his anxiety
| |
| | outcomes of someone else's errors, as
|
| and regulate his labile sense of
| |
| | part of the future mythology of his rise
|
| self-worth by securing a constant supply
| |
| | to power/brilliance/wealth/ideal love,
|
| of his drug - attention. American
| |
| | etc. Being punished is a diversion of his
|
| executives acted without compunction when
| |
| | precious energy and resources from the
|
| they raided their employees' pension
| |
| | all-important task of fulfilling his
|
| funds - as did Robert Maxwell a
| |
| | mission in life.The narcissist is
|
| generation earlier in Britain.The
| |
| | pathologically envious of people and
|
| narcissist is convinced of his
| |
| | believes that they are equally envious of
|
| superiority - cerebral or physical. To
| |
| | him. He is paranoid, on guard, ready to
|
| his mind, he is a Gulliver hamstrung by a
| |
| | fend off an imminent attack. A punishment
|
| horde of narrow-minded and envious
| |
| | to the narcissist is a major surprise and
|
| Lilliputians. The dotcom "new economy"
| |
| | a nuisance but it also validates his
|
| was infested with "visionaries" with a
| |
| | suspicion that he is being persecuted. It
|
| contemptuous attitude towards the
| |
| | proves to him that strong forces are
|
| mundane: profits, business cycles,
| |
| | arrayed against him.He tells himself that
|
| conservative economists, doubtful
| |
| | people, envious of his achievements and
|
| journalists, and cautious analysts.Yet,
| |
| | humiliated by them, are out to get him.
|
| deep inside, the narcissist is painfully
| |
| | He constitutes a threat to the accepted
|
| aware of his addiction to others - their
| |
| | order. When required to pay for his
|
| attention, admiration, applause, and
| |
| | misdeeds, the narcissist is always
|
| affirmation. He despises himself for
| |
| | disdainful and bitter and feels
|
| being thus dependent. He hates people the
| |
| | misunderstood by his inferiors.Cooked
|
| same way a drug addict hates his pusher.
| |
| | books, corporate fraud, bending the (GAAP
|
| He wishes to "put them in their place",
| |
| | or other) rules, sweeping problems under
|
| humiliate them, demonstrate to them how
| |
| | the carpet, over-promising, making
|
| inadequate and imperfect they are in
| |
| | grandiose claims (the "vision thing") -
|
| comparison to his regal self and how
| |
| | are hallmarks of a narcissist in action.
|
| little he craves or needs them.The
| |
| | When social cues and norms encourage such
|
| narcissist regards himself as one would
| |
| | behaviour rather than inhibit it - in
|
| an expensive present, a gift to his
| |
| | other words, when such behaviour elicits
|
| company, to his family, to his
| |
| | abundant narcissistic supply - the
|
| neighbours, to his colleagues, to his
| |
| | pattern is reinforced and become
|
| country. This firm conviction of his
| |
| | entrenched and rigid. Even when
|
| inflated importance makes him feel
| |
| | circumstances change, the narcissist
|
| entitled to special treatment, special
| |
| | finds it difficult to adapt, shed his
|
| favors, special outcomes, concessions,
| |
| | routines, and replace them with new ones.
|
| subservience, immediate gratification,
| |
| | He is trapped in his past success. He
|
| obsequiousness, and lenience. It also
| |
| | becomes a swindler.But pathological
|
| makes him feel immune to mortal laws and
| |
| | narcissism is not an isolated phenomenon.
|
| somehow divinely protected and insulated
| |
| | It is embedded in our contemporary
|
| from the inevitable consequences of his
| |
| | culture. The West's is a narcissistic
|
| deeds and misdeeds.The self-destructive
| |
| | civilization. It upholds narcissistic
|
| narcissist plays the role of the "bad
| |
| | values and penalizes alternative
|
| guy" (or "bad girl"). But even this is
| |
| | value-systems. From an early age,
|
| within the traditional social roles
| |
| | children are taught to avoid
|
| cartoonishly exaggerated by the
| |
| | self-criticism, to deceive themselves
|
| narcissist to attract attention. Men are
| |
| | regarding their capacities and
|
| likely to emphasise intellect, power,
| |
| | attainments, to feel entitled, and to
|
| aggression, money, or social status.
| |
| | exploit others.As Lilian Katz observed in
|
| Narcissistic women are likely to
| |
| | her important paper, "Distinctions
|
| emphasise body, looks, charm, sexuality,
| |
| | between Self-Esteem and Narcissism:
|
| feminine "traits", homemaking, children
| |
| | Implications for Practice", published by
|
| and childrearing.Punishing the wayward
| |
| | the Educational Resources Information
|
| narcissist is a veritable catch-22.A jail
| |
| | Center, the line between enhancing
|
| term is useless as a deterrent if it only
| |
| | self-esteem and fostering narcissism is
|
| serves to focus attention on the
| |
| | often blurred by educators and
|
| narcissist. Being infamous is second best
| |
| | parents.Both Christopher Lasch in "The
|
| to being famous - and far preferable to
| |
| | Culture of Narcissism" and Theodore
|
| being ignored. The only way to
| |
| | Millon in his books about personality
|
| effectively punish a narcissist is to
| |
| | disorders, singled out American society
|
| withhold narcissistic supply from him and
| |
| | as narcissistic. Litigiousness may be the
|
| thus to prevent him from becoming a
| |
| | flip side of an inane sense of
|
| notorious celebrity.Given a sufficient
| |
| | entitlement. Consumerism is built on this
|
| amount of media exposure, book contracts,
| |
| | common and communal lie of "I can do
|
| talk shows, lectures, and public
| |
| | anything I want and possess everything I
|
| attention - the narcissist may even
| |
| | desire if I only apply myself to it" and
|
| consider the whole grisly affair to be
| |
| | on the pathological envy it fosters.Not
|
| emotionally rewarding. To the narcissist,
| |
| | surprisingly, narcissistic disorders are
|
| freedom, wealth, social status, family,
| |
| | more common among men than among women.
|
| vocation - are all means to an end. And
| |
| | This may be because narcissism conforms
|
| the end is attention. If he can secure
| |
| | to masculine social mores and to the
|
| attention by being the big bad wolf - the
| |
| | prevailing ethos of capitalism. Ambition,
|
| narcissist unhesitatingly transforms
| |
| | achievements, hierarchy, ruthlessness,
|
| himself into one. Lord Archer, for
| |
| | drive - are both social values and
|
| instance, seems to be positively basking
| |
| | narcissistic male traits. Social thinkers
|
| in the media circus provoked by his
| |
| | like the aforementioned Lasch speculated
|
| prison diaries.The narcissist does not
| |
| | that modern American culture - a
|
| victimise, plunder, terrorise and abuse
| |
| | self-centred one - increases the rate of
|
| others in a cold, calculating manner. He
| |
| | incidence of the narcissistic personality
|
| does so offhandedly, as a manifestation
| |
| | disorder.Otto Kernberg, a notable scholar
|
| of his genuine character. To be truly
| |
| | of personality disorders, confirmed
|
| "guilty" one needs to intend, to
| |
| | Lasch's intuition: "Society can make
|
| deliberate, to contemplate one's choices
| |
| | serious psychological abnormalities,
|
| and then to choose one's acts. The
| |
| | which already exist in some percentage of
|
| narcissist does none of these.Thus,
| |
| | the population, seem to be at least
|
| punishment breeds in him surprise, hurt
| |
| | superficially appropriate."In their book
|
| and seething anger. The narcissist is
| |
| | "Personality Disorders in Modern Life",
|
| stunned by society's insistence that he
| |
| | Theodore Millon and Roger Davis state, as
|
| should be held accountable for his deeds
| |
| | a matter of fact, that pathological
|
| and penalized accordingly. He feels
| |
| | narcissism was once the preserve of "the
|
| wronged, baffled, injured, the victim of
| |
| | royal and the wealthy" and that it "seems
|
| bias, discrimination and injustice. He
| |
| | to have gained prominence only in the
|
| rebels and rages.Depending upon the
| |
| | late twentieth century". Narcissism,
|
| pervasiveness of his magical thinking,
| |
| | according to them, may be associated with
|
| the narcissist may feel besieged by
| |
| | "higher levels of Maslow's hierarchy of
|
| overwhelming powers, forces cosmic and
| |
| | needs ... Individuals in less advantaged
|
| intrinsically ominous. He may develop
| |
| | nations .. are too busy trying (to
|
| compulsive rites to fend off this "bad",
| |
| | survive) ... to be arrogant and
|
| unwarranted, persecutory influences.The
| |
| | grandiose".They - like Lasch before them
|
| narcissist, very much the infantile
| |
| | - attribute pathological narcissism to "a
|
| outcome of stunted personal development,
| |
| | society that stresses individualism and
|
| engages in magical thinking. He feels
| |
| | self-gratification at the expense of
|
| omnipotent, that there is nothing he
| |
| | community, namely the United States."
|
| couldn't do or achieve if only he sets
| |
| | They assert that the disorder is more
|
| his mind to it. He feels omniscient - he
| |
| | prevalent among certain professions with
|
| rarely admits to ignorance and regards
| |
| | "star power" or respect. "In an
|
| his intuitions and intellect as founts of
| |
| | individualistic culture, the narcissist
|
| objective data.Thus, narcissists are
| |
| | is 'God's gift to the world'. In a
|
| haughtily convinced that introspection is
| |
| | collectivist society, the narcissist is
|
| a more important and more efficient (not
| |
| | 'God's gift to the collective."Millon
|
| to mention easier to accomplish) method
| |
| | quotes Warren and Caponi's "The Role of
|
| of obtaining knowledge than the
| |
| | Culture in the Development of
|
| systematic study of outside sources of
| |
| | Narcissistic Personality Disorders in
|
| information in accordance with strict and
| |
| | America, Japan and
|
| tedious curricula. Narcissists are
| |
| | Denmark":"Individualistic narcissistic
|
| "inspired" and they despise hamstrung
| |
| | structures of self-regard (in
|
| technocrats.To some extent, they feel
| |
| | individualistic societies) ... are rather
|
| omnipresent because they are either
| |
| | self-contained and independent ... (In
|
| famous or about to become famous or
| |
| | collectivist cultures) narcissistic
|
| because their product is selling or is
| |
| | configurations of the we-self ... denote
|
| being manufactured globally. Deeply
| |
| | self-esteem derived from strong
|
| immersed in their delusions of grandeur,
| |
| | identification with the reputation and
|
| they firmly believe that their acts have
| |
| | honor of the family, groups, and others
|
| - or will have - a great influence not
| |
| | in hierarchical relationships."Still,
|
| only on their firm, but on their country,
| |
| | there are malignant narcissists among
|
| or even on Mankind. Having mastered the
| |
| | subsistence farmers in Africa, nomads in
|
| manipulation of their human environment -
| |
| | the Sinai desert, day laborers in east
|
| they are convinced that they will always
| |
| | Europe, and intellectuals and socialites
|
| "get away with it". They develop hubris
| |
| | in Manhattan. Malignant narcissism is
|
| and a false sense of
| |
| | all-pervasive and independent of culture
|
| immunity.Narcissistic immunity is the
| |
| | and society. It is true, though, that the
|
| (erroneous) feeling, harboured by the
| |
| | way pathological narcissism manifests and
|
| narcissist, that he is impervious to the
| |
| | is experienced is dependent on the
|
| consequences of his actions, that he will
| |
| | particulars of societies and cultures.In
|
| never be effected by the results of his
| |
| | some cultures, it is encouraged, in
|
| own decisions, opinions, beliefs, deeds
| |
| | others suppressed. In some societies it
|
| and misdeeds, acts, inaction, or
| |
| | is channeled against minorities - in
|
| membership of certain groups, that he is
| |
| | others it is tainted with paranoia. In
|
| above reproach and punishment, that,
| |
| | collectivist societies, it may be
|
| magically, he is protected and will
| |
| | projected onto the collective, in
|
| miraculously be saved at the last moment.
| |
| | individualistic societies, it is an
|
| Hence the audacity, simplicity, and
| |
| | individual's trait.Yet, can families,
|
| transparency of some of the fraud and
| |
| | organizations, ethnic groups, churches,
|
| corporate looting in the 1990's.
| |
| | and even whole nations be safely
|
| Narcissists rarely bother to cover their
| |
| | described as "narcissistic" or
|
| traces, so great is their disdain and
| |
| | "pathologically self-absorbed"? Can we
|
| conviction that they are above mortal
| |
| | talk about a "corporate culture of
|
| laws and wherewithal.What are the sources
| |
| | narcissism"?Human collectives - states,
|
| of this unrealistic appraisal of
| |
| | firms, households, institutions,
|
| situations and events?The false self is a
| |
| | political parties, cliques, bands -
|
| childish response to abuse and trauma.
| |
| | acquire a life and a character all their
|
| Abuse is not limited to sexual
| |
| | own. The longer the association or
|
| molestation or beatings. Smothering,
| |
| | affiliation of the members, the more
|
| doting, pampering, over-indulgence,
| |
| | cohesive and conformist the inner
|
| treating the child as an extension of the
| |
| | dynamics of the group, the more
|
| parent, not respecting the child's
| |
| | persecutory or numerous its enemies,
|
| boundaries, and burdening the child with
| |
| | competitors, or adversaries, the more
|
| excessive expectations are also forms of
| |
| | intensive the physical and emotional
|
| abuse.The child reacts by constructing
| |
| | experiences of the individuals it is
|
| false self that is possessed of
| |
| | comprised of, the stronger the bonds of
|
| everything it needs in order to prevail:
| |
| | locale, language, and history - the more
|
| unlimited and instantaneously available
| |
| | rigorous might an assertion of a common
|
| Harry Potter-like powers and wisdom. The
| |
| | pathology be.Such an all-pervasive and
|
| false self, this Superman, is indifferent
| |
| | extensive pathology manifests itself in
|
| to abuse and punishment. This way, the
| |
| | the behavior of each and every member. It
|
| child's true self is shielded from the
| |
| | is a defining - though often implicit or
|
| toddler's harsh reality.This artificial,
| |
| | underlying - mental structure. It has
|
| maladaptive separation between a
| |
| | explanatory and predictive powers. It is
|
| vulnerable (but not punishable) true self
| |
| | recurrent and invariable - a pattern of
|
| and a punishable (but invulnerable) false
| |
| | conduct melding distorted cognition and
|
| self is an effective mechanism. It
| |
| | stunted emotions. And it is often
|
| isolates the child from the unjust,
| |
| | vehemently denied.
|
