Pathological Narcissistic Fantasy on A Political Scale
April 16, 2025โข253 words
"It's a deep and all but certain truth about narcissistic personalities that to meet them is to love them, but to know them well is to find them unbearable. Confidence quickly curdles into arrogance; smarts turn to smugness, charm turns to smarm." ~ Jeffrey Kluger
"At times we can be self-absorbed. Lord, help us to open our hearts to others and to serve those who are most vulnerable." ~ Pope Francis
"It's really hard to have a fair discussion when you're faced with militarism, aggression, and greed. The militarists do not want dialogue. They want what they want. They're psychotic. They're greedy, they're narcissistic, and they're dangerous." ~ Carolee Schneemann
At the social level, one may observe how a group will descend into what is a pathological narcissistic fantasy.
The group gets to believe that it is superior, that it is the greatest, the mightiest, even predestined for greatness. Anything short of perfection is not acknowledged, and an idealized self-image is jealously protected.
To sustain this illusion, the group also often uses "splitting," dividing the world into good (us) and evil (them). Faced with fear or failure, they resort to "projection," blaming outside enemies or evil outside forces.
These are not individual reactions, they become mass defense mechanisms. They serve to shield the society from being forced to face unpleasant realities of decline, past injustices, or loss of a once-noble self.
Thus, such social narcissism creates a broad, flattering narrative of itself that avoids blame and discourages serious self-examination.