Apropos of nothing, I want to tell you about collective\nnarcissism. I\u2019m not really sure where I\u2019m going with this, so bear with me. Or\ndon\u2019t. It\u2019s your time and they\u2019re your eyes you\u2019re reading with this with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyway\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Collective narcissism is defined<\/a>\nas an emotional investment in a belief in the unparalleled greatness of an\nin-group which is dependent on external validation. To quote<\/a>\nan expert, \u201cCollective narcissists aren\u2019t personally grandiose \u2013 if anything\nthey may feel individually powerless \u2013 but can be cult-like in their devotion\nto a national, religious or ideological identity with which they identify\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the collective narcissism scale<\/a>,\ncollective narcissists are particularly sensitive to the smallest offence to\ntheir group\u2019s image. Unlike individuals with narcissistic personalities, who hold\ninflated views of themselves, collective narcissists exaggerate offences to\ntheir group, and respond to them aggressively. Collective narcissists believe their\ngroup\u2019s importance and worth are not sufficiently recognised by others. They\nfeel that their group merits special treatment, and insist it gets the\nrecognition and respect it deserves. In other words, collective narcissism\namounts to a belief in the exaggerated greatness of one\u2019s group and demands\nexternal validation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Collective narcissists are not interested in just being\nmembers of a valuable group. They don\u2019t invest their time and energy in the\ngroup\u2019s betterment. Instead, their activism involves monitoring whether others,\nparticularly out-group members, recognise and acknowledge the enormous value\nand special worth of their group. To achieve this, collective narcissists\ndemand privileged treatment, not equal rights. The need for continuous external\nvalidation, of this inflated group image, is what distinguishes<\/a>\ncollective narcissists from those who simply hold positive feelings about the\ngroup they belong to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If collective narcissists perceive their group to be\noffended, they respond<\/a>\nwith disproportionate punishments towards the offending party. This is true\neven if the perceived insult is not intended or perceived by others or is of a\ndebatable nature. As their self-worth is invested in the group, collective narcissists\ncannot disassociate themselves from the group. Their motivation stems from advancing\nthe group, rather than themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Collective narcissism is associated<\/a>\nwith sensory processing difficulties. Highly sensitive people are more\nvulnerable to negative stimuli and to negative experiences undermining their\npsychological wellbeing. This tendency towards negative emotional responses may\npredispose the collective narcissist\u2019s belief about the lack of recognition for\nthe in-group\u2019s importance. This also suggests collective narcissism may be\nunderlined by a lack of emotional resilience and the inability to self-soothe when\nfaced with adversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A recent study found<\/a> evidence, in fMRI scan results, that narcissists\u2019 experiences of social rejection can be extremely distressing, despite their contrary claims. Another study found<\/a> people derive emotional pleasure from responding to rejection with aggression. It is likely, as collective narcissists often use aggression to reduce their distress, that they feel similarly distressed when they perceive their group to be rejected or somehow undermined. It has also been suggested<\/a> that the \u201cperceived threat to the assumed greatness of the in-group may be chronic because, at least partially, it may come from within, rather than outside. The unacknowledged doubts about the in-group\u2019s greatness may motivate collective narcissists constantly to seek signs of criticism or disrespect of the in-group\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This investment<\/a>\nin retaliation to perceived and imaginary insults can make collective narcissists\nblind to actual threats to themselves and others. It has been proposed<\/a>\nthat collective narcissists \u201caccept harming individuals for the sake of the\ngroup.\u201d It is this that can make\ncollective narcissists particularly dangerous and worrying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer to collective narcissism, unsurprisingly, is not to indulge it, but to deal with the individual issues that make it attractive to people. Working on self-esteem and encouraging people to work for the betterment of their group and to take pride and joy in belonging to the community has been suggested<\/a> as a solution. It\u2019s well known that increase in self-esteem leads to an increase in tolerance of others. To be clear, this is not about external validation but an increase in self-worth. It is not the responsibility of others to manage the feelings of individuals, although it is our responsibility, as a society, to ensure people are able to develop those skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n