Is the Woke Mob Subjecting Society to Narcissistic Abuse? Oh, yes – BIG TIME

There seems to be a striking similarity between the toxic behaviour patterns of pathological narcissists, particularly those with a tendency towards vulnerable narcissism, and the behaviour of the woke mob. While there is vast academic literature on pathological narcissism at the individual level, the expression of pathological narcissism at the population level has been suggested only fairly recently. If the supposition is valid that the traits of the woke mob comprise those of pathological narcissism, then it must be considered that society is being subjected to narcissistic abuse by the woke mob and that the woke mob cannot be reasoned with and it will not change; it can only be circumvented or removed.

Pathological narcissism is a personality style, just as extroversion or agreeableness are inherent personal types. As a consequence, pathological narcissism is rarely amenable to fundamental change. Narcissistic Personality Disorder, a Cluster B personality disorder, is the formal diagnosis of someone with pathological narcissism who presents to a trained professional because he or she is suffering as a consequence of his or her personality type. The caveat is that pathological narcissists are rarely aware (or care) that they have a toxic personality style and infrequently suffer any real consequences of their behaviour. By definition, pathological narcissists have low (or erratic) levels of empathy, self-awareness and introspection, and they are surrounded by those who acquiesce to their bullying behaviour, often to avoid the narcissist’s vindictiveness, rage and general nastiness. Consequently, unlike most other mental and personality disorders, therapy is almost exclusively provided to those subject to the narcissist’s abuse and toxic behaviour, rather than to the narcissist themselves.

The personality disorder exists on a spectrum of severity and has various (overlapping) subtypes. However, all manifestations of pathological narcissism share common traits, including low levels of empathy and self-reflection. Pathological narcissists are utterly self-absorbed, and constantly seek attention and validation. This precipitates chronic, toxic behaviour patterns, distinct from occasional obnoxious behaviour that every human is prone to. Although measuring the prevalence of pathological narcissism in the general population is difficult for the reason noted above, in the West it is estimated to be at least 1% and is increasing. Why some individuals develop pathological narcissism is complex and not fully understood, but is probably attributable to both genetic and environmental factors. Pathological narcissists often had emotionally impoverished or abusive childhoods, but the majority of children in troubled environments do not become emotionally dysregulated adults. Although pathological narcissism is considered to be rooted in deep personal insecurity and shame (and not vanity), the increasing prevalence of pathological narcissism, seemingly among the younger generations, begs the question, does declining behavioural boundaries and discipline or disingenuous positive affirmation contribute to the emergence of the disorder?