"Not Again! Not Another Narcissist!"
Sam Vaknin author of "Malignant Self-love"
"Not Again! Not Another Narcissist!" Exclusive Article by Las!
- Written by Las
Clinical psychologists will confess that it is unheard of for a narcissist to have insight to self-identify as a narcissist. Vaknin characterizes his personal disorder as “a life-long pattern of traits and behaviours which signify infatuation and obsession with one’s self to the exclusion of all others, and the egotistic and ruthless pursuit of one’s gratification, dominance and ambition. Pathological narcissism is a reaction to prolonged abuse and trauma in early childhood or early adolescence... a defense mechanism intended to deflect trauma.” 1
According to Vaknin the narcissist’s “true self” turns into a "false self" which is omnipotent, invulnerable, and omniscient. The narcissist uses the false self to regulate his or her sense of self-worth by obtaining narcissistic supply (any form of attention, both positive and negative).
But to get a sense of how scary a narcissist really is, Vaknin's candid confessions of his own disorder is unnerving. "When I abuse, I never hide. I would like any pain and damage I inflict to be attributed to me and to inspire shock, awe, and fear in my victims and adversaries. In other words, I am a sadistic bully. I feel elated when my self-imputed omnipotence is affirmed by my ability to intimidate, unsettle, and terrify.”
Vaknin continues, “I have been successful in various fields, but I would have been considerably more accomplished had I not been a self-defeating, misanthropic, and sadistic narcissist. I have leveraged my affliction via my writings and very popular videos to obtain narcissistic supply and to make a living, but this is a far cry from what I could and should have been had I been mentally sound."
Vaknin has ventured his personal experience with the disorder into being one of the foremost experts on the subject. Quick to affirm that he is not a psychologist or a doctor in the field, he is however a prolific author with the subject of narcissism being his main focus. He is sought after for his views on the narcissism of political leaders.
Vaknin became popular for his insightful analysis of Barack Hussein Obama before the election in 2008. (2)
In a series of postings in 2008 on his blog Vaknin concluded that Obama appeared to be a narcissist based on particular telltale indicators: an "upbringing and childhood of chaotic traumatic and bruising dislocations; behaviour patterns of grandiosities and fantasies of unequaled brilliance in thinking and exaggerated self-importance, and exaggerated claims to talents and accomplishments. Obama requires excessive admiration and is interpersonally exploitative.” Obama also evinces persecutory and paranoid delusions that others are out to get him (FOX News, Republicans and Conservatives, Christians with guns and Bibles). He seeks to destroy objects of his frustration (IRS scandal).
Narcissist-in-chief in Selfie Stick
In his 2008 article Vaknin elaborates further on Obama’s behaviours, which are among the hallmarks of pathological narcissism:
“[Obama] subtly misrepresents facts and expediently and opportunistically shifts positions, views, opinions, and "ideals" (e.g., about campaign finance, re-districting). These flip-flops do not cause him overt distress and are ego-syntonic (he feels justified in acting this way). Alternatively, he refuses to commit to a standpoint and, in the process, evidences a lack of empathy. He Ignores data that conflict with his fantasy world, or with his inflated and grandiose self-image. This has to do with magical thinking. Obama already sees himself as president because he is firmly convinced that his dreams, thoughts, and wishes affect reality.
Additionally, he denies the gap between his fantasies and his modest or limited real-life achievements. For instance, in 12 years of academic career, he hasn't published a single scholarly paper or book. He feels that he is above the law, including and especially his own laws. He talks about himself in the 3rd person singular or uses the regal "we" and craves to be the exclusive centre of attention, even adulation. Obama has a messianic-cosmic vision of himself and his life and his "mission". He sets ever more complex rules in a convoluted world of grandiose fantasies with its own language (jargon). Obama displays false modesty and unctuous "folksiness" but is unable to sustain these behaviours (the persona, or mask) for long. It slips and the true Obama is revealed: haughty, aloof, distant, and disdainful of simple folk and their lives. He sublimates aggression and holds grudges.
Obama additionally behaves as an eternal adolescent. For example, his choice of language and the youthful image he projects. He demands indulgence and feels entitled to special treatment, even though his objective accomplishments do not justify it.” 2
Recently Vaknin has turned his attention to Donald Trump. In an interview conducted by Arlan Williams for American Thinker, Vaknin raises the alarm about Trump. Succinctly, Trump is worse. He says, "I regard him as much more of a menace than Obama ever was to the future of the USA and by extension, the world.
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) for North American psychiatry the descriptors for NPD have been revamped to nine criteria. And Donald Trump fits all nine categories, according to Vaknin.
These categories are as follows:
The narcissist feels grandiose and self-important (e.g., exaggerates accomplishments, talents, skills, contacts, and personality traits to the point of lying, demands to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements).
The narcissist is obsessed with fantasies of unlimited success, fame, fearsome power or omnipotence, unequaled brilliance (the cerebral narcissist), bodily beauty or sexual performance (the somatic narcissist), or ideal, everlasting, all-conquering love or passion.
The narcissist is firmly convinced that he or she is unique and, being special, can only be understood by, should only be treated by, or associate with, other special or unique, or high-status people (or institutions).
He requires excessive admiration, adulation, attention and affirmation – or, failing that, wishes to be feared and to be notorious (narcissistic supply).
He feels entitled and demands automatic and full compliance with his or her unreasonable expectations for special and favorable priority treatment. The narcissist is "interpersonally exploitative," i.e., uses others to achieve his or her own ends.
Devoid of empathy, the narcissist is unable or unwilling to identify with, acknowledge, or accept the feelings, needs, preferences, priorities, and choices of others.
Constantly envious of others the narcissist seeks to hurt or destroy the objects of his or her frustration.
The narcissist suffers from persecutory (paranoid) delusions as he or she believes that they feel the same about him or her and are likely to act similarly.
The Narcissist behaves arrogantly and haughtily. He feels superior, omnipotent, omniscient, invincible, immune, "above the law," and omnipresent (magical thinking). He rages when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted by people he or she considers inferior to him or her and unworthy.
Vaknin has watched over 600 hours of video of Trump (so has the rest of America thanks to FOX and the MSM) and his conclusions are damning.
According to Vaknin, Trump confabulates. Confabulation is psychiatry-speak for constructing false narratives and distorted scenarios to fill in lapses of memory of events. It is not deliberately lying because the person really believes what he is saying. It's in the category of false memories. Trump exhibits both spontaneous and provoked confabulation. Simply put, he just says things out of the blue and says things to get himself out of a fix. Therefore Trump is delusional.
Trump is vindictive and aggressive to perceived slights and humiliations. He
is an extreme attention seeker… compulsively so. Defiant and abrasive, Trump
hates rules. That is why he never authentically references the American
Constitution.
Trump speaks in the first person even more than Obama. This is
quite an accomplishment. And the need to constantly fake superiority forces
Trump to be aggressive, hypersensitive and defensive.
Although not as cold as Obama at pretending empathy, Trump certainly lacks it and according to Vaknin, he enjoys hurting and embarrassing other people gratuitously. His attacks on Heidi and Rafael Cruz are one such example.
Trump is a “consummate” predator and knows how to penetrate the defences of his adversaries.
Says Vaknin, “To my mind, Trump is the most perfect example I have ever come across of a malignant and, probably, psychopathic narcissist.”
You can read the full interview here in full: http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/03/donald_trump_and_narcissistic_personality_disorder_an_interview_with_sam_vaknin.html
Compared to bloated narcissists like Obama and Trump, a common criminal like
Hillary Clinton appears almost endearing.
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1. Interview with a Narcissist and his Wife
http://www.drpsychmom.com/2014/09/08/interview-narcissist-dr-sam-vaknin-deigns-interviewed/#
2. Sam Vaknin, Barack Obama: Narcissist or Merely Narcissistic? http://bigthink.com/articles/barack-obama-narcissist-or-merely-narcissistic
