The Intersection of Psychology and Global Politics
Sam Vaknin discusses modern narcissism, misconceptions about narcissistic abuse, healing strategies, and parallels between individual narcissism and global politics, offering insights for victims and aspiring authors alike.
Sam Vaknin, a name synonymous with groundbreaking insights into narcissism and its far-reaching implications, graces the pages of Reader’s House Magazine with his profound expertise. A prolific author, esteemed academic, and thought leader in psychology, philosophy, and international affairs, Vaknin’s work has illuminated the darkest corners of human behaviour, offering clarity to those navigating the complexities of narcissistic abuse and personality disorders. His seminal book, Malignant Self-love: Narcissism Revisited, remains a cornerstone in the field, while his extensive contributions to academia and media continue to shape global discourse.
In this exclusive interview, Vaknin delves into the evolving manifestations of narcissism in the digital age, dismantles pervasive misconceptions, and offers invaluable guidance for victims seeking healing. With characteristic candour and intellectual rigour, he also draws striking parallels between individual narcissistic behaviour and patterns in global politics, underscoring the universality of this psychological phenomenon. For aspiring authors tackling complex psychological themes, Vaknin’s advice is both a caution and a beacon, urging a commitment to research over personal anecdote.
This conversation is a masterclass in understanding the intricacies of narcissism, its impact on society, and the pathways to recovery. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to comprehend the psychological undercurrents shaping our world today.
In your research, have you noticed any recent shifts in how narcissism manifests in modern society, particularly with the rise of social media?
The contemporary tsunami of entitled grandiose narcissism preceded the emergence of social media and has been their main driver. Nothing has changed since the 1980s as far as our understanding of pathological narcissism, both overt and covert. But currently narcissism is no longer reviled, but is legitimized and lauded as a positive adaptation.
There is also a confluence between victimhood and identity movements and certain traits of narcissism: antagonism, negative affectivity, entitlement, and fantastic self-inflation and self-enhancement, for example.
What are some misconceptions about narcissists and their victims that you frequently encounter?
There are too many to enumerate, alas. There is a conflation of narcissism and psychopathy (narcissists don’t gaslight or future fake, for example). There is an aggrandizement of victims of narcissistic abuse (“superempaths” and other such nonsense). There is the overwhelming emergence of charlatans with and without academic degrees who proclaim themselves experts on narcissism with zero track record in the field, are believed by the gullible and the dumb (the vast majority of the population), and proceed to spread a terrifying amount of deleterious misinformation online. This is just the tip of this ominous iceberg. The online scene is a cesspool.
How can someone differentiate between a person with narcissistic traits and someone who has a full-blown Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
People diagnosed with the personality disorder suffer from dissociation (memory gaps), cannot tell the difference between reality and fantasy (impaired reality testing), compulsively and coercively seek attention (narcissistic supply), lack affective empathy, are unable to relate to other people as external and separate from them (introjection), and so on. NPD is a serious mental illness.
People with a narcissistic style are merely obnoxious, exploitative, thuggish, and repulsive (or superficially charming and irresistibly attractive). They enjoy being the life of the party but will not be obsessed with it.
What are the most effective strategies for victims of narcissistic abuse to heal and rebuild their sense of self?
They must go no contact with the narcissist to the maximum extent possible. The next step is to silence the narcissist’s internalized (introjected) hostile and critical voice (thus reacquiring one’s unfettered access to reality), and then to individuate: regain one’s purloined mature and adult identity. It is a long and arduous process, but with the proper investment and commitment, and the right professional guidance, the prognosis is good.
Given your extensive work in psychology, philosophy, and international affairs, do you see any parallels between narcissistic behaviour in individuals and patterns in global politics?
Collective narcissism is clinically indistinguishable from pathological narcissism in the individual: fantasy, self-enhancement (inflation of self-concept), entitlement (or victimhood), attention seeking, externalized aggression, a pronounced lack of empathy, negative affectivity (hatred, rage, envy), and so on.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who wish to write about complex psychological and social issues based on both research and personal experience?
Do not write or assume or hypothesize anything based on your personal experience. Freud’s worst moments and most inane “insights” emanated from his grandiose conviction that introspection is the way to gain universally applicable knowledge. His most significant contributions emerged from his plagiarism of other people’s work (his “research”).
