In any case, you are not lucky if you meet them once, as these are the most harmful, and in this article we will dive together into the depths of the human soul and explore Its depths. We will also analyze the narcissistic personality and learn the reason for its attachment to conspiracy theory.
What is the plot or conspiracy theory?
A conspiracy is a secret plan to do something bad or harmful. The aim of conspiracies is usually to usurp political or economic power, violate rights, violate existing agreements, withhold secrets, or change institutions.
What are conspiracy theories?
Conspiracy theories are alternative explanations that attribute the true cause of a major social or political event to secret and insidious conspiracies hatched by supposedly powerful agents or groups, for example, Freemasonry, the government, corporations, and wealthy elites. Conspiracy theories exist about many things: Vaccines, the moon landing, climate change, the 9/11 attack, the JFK assassination, and more.
Note that conspiracy theories are not always wrong; for example, the Watergate scandal. In fact, belief in conspiracy theories can be an adaptive behavior, but oftentimes conspiracy theories are wrong, and major conspiracies fail or are exposed.
What does narcissism mean?
Narcissism refers to exaggerated self-esteem. Narcissism is associated with feelings of superiority, arrogance, jealous tendencies, a sense of entitlement, manipulation of others, self-promotion, and hostility toward competitors. Although many people believe in conspiracies, research indicates that narcissists in particular tend to believe in them, just as They are also prone to believing in strange or other irrational phenomena.
Narcissism is normal
Narcissism is a healthy and normal part of psychological development in one's life. This was an innovative idea first presented by the psychoanalyst Heinz Kohut in his 1971 book Self-Analysis. Kohut followed the teachings of Freud until the seventies of the last century, when he discovered a narcissistic line of development present in all individuals, whether healthy or disturbed.
He believed that self-love was the essence of psychological health and lasting relationships. Kohut defined self-love as a developmental achievement that is acquired gradually until reaching maturity. His discoveries and ideas led to a new therapeutic approach called self-psychology, which is a valuable contribution to modern psychoanalysis.
Kohout and self-psychology
Self-psychology deals with the suffering some people feel when they experience difficulties with self-esteem, and for others, self-esteem is unstable and makes sudden, erratic shifts from grandiosity to feelings of low self-esteem.
Am I loved? Am I good enough? And can I trust what I feel inside? Kohut's work with people with fluctuating self-esteem explored how our core relationships shape self-esteem.
Self-preservation is everyone's priority
In his work, particularly with people with narcissistic personality disorders, he has noted their tendency to get confused under anxiety and to experience feelings of shame and anger. Unacknowledged shame often manifests as anger. It is part of the disintegration of the self, and Kohut claimed that finding ways of self-preservation was a priority for many individuals, not just those with narcissistic personality disorders.
Kohut believes that as most people spend their lives trying to build self-esteem by using and building relationships with other people, we may all need someone to lean on.
Narcissism from childhood
One example of this is when a child falls or gets injured and runs to a parent in search of comfort and safety. We need someone who can comfort us in moments of pain when we are not able to do so ourselves. Recognizing a childhood yearning for absolute belief in oneself or another is emphasized by Kohut. Validation of this belief is necessary, and if these needs are not met, with the passage of time, the child gradually realizes that their inflated perceptions of themselves and others are unrealistic.
The child is able to endure this inevitable frustration and disappointment and develop a healthy and resilient narcissism, and under these conditions, the two poles (the inflated self and the idealized other) are integrated into the personality. When a child doesn't get sympathy from their parents, they continue to rely on others' admiration and external praise to nurture their self-esteem, and Kohut believes this is when pathological narcissistic traits develop.
Three basic aspects of narcissism
Researchers emphasize that there are three basic aspects of narcissism that make one believe in a conspiracy theory:
1. Gain happiness from others
This is about assertiveness, self-confidence, charisma, and reward-seeking, and this is how narcissists try to impress others.
2. Hostility
Associated with vanity, cruelty, distrust, and exploitation, this is how narcissists defend themselves against threats.
3. Nervousness
It is associated with the narcissist's experiences of shame, low self-esteem, and negative feelings they experienced for a long time in their childhood.
What is the relationship between paranoia and the desire to be unique by believing in a conspiracy theory?
Compared to the average person, narcissists and people with abnormal personality traits, such as psychopathy and Machiavellianism, tend to have higher levels of paranoia. Narcissists often assume that others are trying to control them. Perhaps it is these perceptions of self-existence that give rise to beliefs about conspiracies against society.
After all, for people with a strong tendency toward control, blaming others is easier than accepting defeat, and the need for exclusivity may increase the likelihood of believing in conspiracies. This is because being able to see through the smokescreens that hide the staggering truth gives narcissists a sense of being special, of being one of the few people who see the truth.
What is the relationship between group narcissism and conspiracy theories?
Some research suggests that conspiracy theories attract those who score higher on a test of group narcissism, a tendency to have positive, unrealistic assumptions about one's group.
Researchers say the link between group narcissism and conspiracy theories may be explained by the increased sensitivity to threat among collective narcissists, similar to the paranoia and threat sensitivity of individual narcissists.
In addition, people who assume that their group, for example, a country or ethnic group, deserves special treatment may feel that it is necessary to deny their own shortcomings and blame others for failures, like other countries, and that everyone conspires against them, so they fail.
What is the relationship between narcissistic leaders and conspiracy theories?
Allow us to discuss why narcissists become attached to conspiracy theories. Compared to the average person, narcissists are more successful in reaching positions of influence and becoming elected leaders (a phenomenon observed even in the children of narcissists). In fact, political leaders, especially authoritarians, tend to have high levels of narcissism. In addition, narcissistic political leaders are more willing to promote conspiracy theories, especially when they feel that power or control is slipping out of their grasp.
Of course, the clearest consequences of such cases are evident when powerful leaders blame a cabal of conspirators for their own failures or misfortunes. This is because narcissistic leaders can cause significant social harm by promoting conspiracy theories, whether through discouraging political participation or encouraging unhealthy beliefs and behaviors (for example, the anti-vaccine movement).
What are the reasons why narcissists are drawn to conspiracy theories?
As we have seen, narcissists are drawn to conspiracy theories for reasons that are likely related to the following elements:
- Paranoia.
- Naivety.
- The need to control others.
- The desire to draw attention.
- The tendency to blame others for their failures or misfortunes.
- The desire to manipulate others, for example, social media followers on Twitter or Facebook.
We have seen that these beliefs may encourage negative behaviors, including violence.
In conclusion
So what is the alternative? Do you believe everything that is said? No, there is a middle ground. We need to cultivate the skill of healthy skepticism by looking at conspiracy theories and official accounts of major events with the same critical eye, and this is what conspiracy theorists do not do. This is because, as research shows, they have less ability to think critically.
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