Narcissism Explained By The Hierarchical-Gregarious Brain
I suggest to first read entries 452 and 453, where I defined the differences between an egalitarian and a hierarchical-gregarious brain. The psychological differences between the two brain dispositions are different causes for dishomeostasis and differences in what stimulates the pleasure center of the brain, and how strong is this stimulation.
I suggest to first read entries 452 and 453, where I defined the differences between an egalitarian and a hierarchical-gregarious brain. The psychological differences between the two brain dispositions are different causes for dishomeostasis and differences in what stimulates the pleasure center of the brain, and how strong is this stimulation.
People with an egalitarian brain have a strong need for respect, appreciation, dignity. Disrespect, depreciation, humiliation, indignity cause them a strong dishomeostasis of emotional pain.
People with a hierarchical-gregarious brain and the aspiration for a high position have a strong dishomeostasis for power, praise, prestige, veneration. They are attracted to find as many inferior people as possible to give this to them. They are void of any empathy or awareness, that what they want is a source of dishomeostasis for egalitarian people.
People with a hierarchical-gregarious brain but with the acceptance of gaining benefits by having a low position experience this position as being in homeostasis. They are also unaware, that egalitarian people suffer dishomeostasis, when forced into the same position.
People with an egalitarian brain gain self-esteem and confidence by comparing their own achievements only with their own goals. Therefore they have no reason to become narcissists.
People with an hierarchical-gregarious brain, who feel a strong dishomeostasis for the emotional benefits of a high position without being able to earn such a position by appropriate achievements are prone to become pathological narcissists. Their bluff fails sooner or later and they lose their temporary source of narcissistic supply. Then they fall back to enforce domination on the women in their lives, who are the most vulnerable and the least able to end the ordeal.
In entry 453, I mentioned already the situation, when legal and external circumstances like slavery force people with an egalitarian brain in an unwarranted low position. Chosen alliances are a different situation.
1. Memberships in ingroups, which are chosen without any external necessity, are chosen only for the attraction and benefit of the group itself. Such groups are for example sport clubs, sects, cults, political initiatives, charities, self-help groups.
1.1. In hierarchical groups, leaders with a hierarchical-gregarious brain have earned the position by hard work and talent, but they acquire special benefits as an incentive.
People with an egalitarian brain gain self-esteem and confidence by comparing their own achievements only with their own goals. Therefore they have no reason to become narcissists.
People with an hierarchical-gregarious brain, who feel a strong dishomeostasis for the emotional benefits of a high position without being able to earn such a position by appropriate achievements are prone to become pathological narcissists. Their bluff fails sooner or later and they lose their temporary source of narcissistic supply. Then they fall back to enforce domination on the women in their lives, who are the most vulnerable and the least able to end the ordeal.
In entry 453, I mentioned already the situation, when legal and external circumstances like slavery force people with an egalitarian brain in an unwarranted low position. Chosen alliances are a different situation.
1. Memberships in ingroups, which are chosen without any external necessity, are chosen only for the attraction and benefit of the group itself. Such groups are for example sport clubs, sects, cults, political initiatives, charities, self-help groups.
1.1. In hierarchical groups, leaders with a hierarchical-gregarious brain have earned the position by hard work and talent, but they acquire special benefits as an incentive.
1.1.1. Power reduces the dishomeostasis of fear and anxiety.
1.1.2. Adulation, admiration, veneration fulfill narcissistic needs, that can either cause dishomeostasis or at least have a strong impact upon the pleasure center.
As long as these benefits are earned by real achievements, rejoicing and indulging in them is different from pathological narcissism.
Followers with a hierarchical-gregarious brain in such a group have a realistic view, that they either cannot become leaders or that the effort to strife to become leaders is too much. They accept their lower position as a consequence of accepting hierarchy as the unavoidable structure of any group.
Followers with a hierarchical-gregarious brain in such a group have a realistic view, that they either cannot become leaders or that the effort to strife to become leaders is too much. They accept their lower position as a consequence of accepting hierarchy as the unavoidable structure of any group.
But being a part of the group also reduces their dishomeostasis by giving protection against fear or by catering for some special need.
In addition, they generalize the achievements of the leaders as if they were achievements of the group, which justify the prestige of the group. Then they identify themselves with the prestige of the group. They enhance their own self-esteem by experiencing themselves as partaking in the achievement of those, whom they follow.
The fans of a football team are proud of the victories, as if they had played themselves. The members of a cult, who have in reality paid a lot of money to be allowed in, feel as if they were the elected and privileged few.
1.2. When someone with a strong hierarchical-gregarious need for a high position lacks either the abilities or the motivation to invest efforts and cannot achieve such a position, he sometimes becomes a pathological narcissist. Where he fails to achieve, he develops a grandiosity delusion, where he does not earn adulation and veneration, he develops an entitlement delusion. When he does not get the admiration he feels entitled to, he blames this as the fault of those refusing to give him enough narcissistic supply. A pathological narcissist is able to bluff people for a while, but he usually gets soon unmasked.
1.3. Egalitarians in egalitarian groups are joining for the benefits of the shared purpose, and by giving special functions to members, they do not give them power nor do they put them upon a pedestal.
1.4. When egalitarians do join hierarchical groups for a special purpose, they do this without accepting the hierarchy as justified. They follow their own purpose, as long as they can do this without being required to show adulation or veneration, that they do not feel.
1.5. Sometimes a pathological narcissist chooses an egalitarian group as a stage to bluff competence in the hope to establish a hierarchy. He considers it as an easy endeavor, because there are no competitors for a high position in an egalitarian group. The pathological narcissist is unaware of the egalitarian group's rejection of a hierarchy, because he mistakes hierarchies as something ubiquitous. But the entitlement delusion and the treating of egalitarian people as inferior causes the egalitarian group members to feel insulted and they soon end his attempts.
2. Couples are a special form of a group, they are the smallest and closest ingroup consisting of only two members.
2.1. Traditionally, while men were given education and earning possibilities, of which women were deprived, there were couples of two hierarchical-gregarious brains, in which real differences caused a woman accept an inferior role under a patronizing man. The engineer marrying his secretary is an example.
2.2. Two egalitarians choose each other for shared traits based upon reciprocal respect and appreciation.
2.3. A man with a hierarchical-gregarious brain, who feels entitled to dominate and patronize a woman with an egalitarian brain, causes her serious suffering. Sometimes the man feels entitled to the top position by the mere fact of being male, sometimes he is a pathological narcissist and has the delusion of superiority, that he does not have.
But there is a big difference between being a member of a group and being half of a couple.
The fans of a football team are proud of the victories, as if they had played themselves. The members of a cult, who have in reality paid a lot of money to be allowed in, feel as if they were the elected and privileged few.
1.2. When someone with a strong hierarchical-gregarious need for a high position lacks either the abilities or the motivation to invest efforts and cannot achieve such a position, he sometimes becomes a pathological narcissist. Where he fails to achieve, he develops a grandiosity delusion, where he does not earn adulation and veneration, he develops an entitlement delusion. When he does not get the admiration he feels entitled to, he blames this as the fault of those refusing to give him enough narcissistic supply. A pathological narcissist is able to bluff people for a while, but he usually gets soon unmasked.
1.3. Egalitarians in egalitarian groups are joining for the benefits of the shared purpose, and by giving special functions to members, they do not give them power nor do they put them upon a pedestal.
1.4. When egalitarians do join hierarchical groups for a special purpose, they do this without accepting the hierarchy as justified. They follow their own purpose, as long as they can do this without being required to show adulation or veneration, that they do not feel.
1.5. Sometimes a pathological narcissist chooses an egalitarian group as a stage to bluff competence in the hope to establish a hierarchy. He considers it as an easy endeavor, because there are no competitors for a high position in an egalitarian group. The pathological narcissist is unaware of the egalitarian group's rejection of a hierarchy, because he mistakes hierarchies as something ubiquitous. But the entitlement delusion and the treating of egalitarian people as inferior causes the egalitarian group members to feel insulted and they soon end his attempts.
2. Couples are a special form of a group, they are the smallest and closest ingroup consisting of only two members.
2.1. Traditionally, while men were given education and earning possibilities, of which women were deprived, there were couples of two hierarchical-gregarious brains, in which real differences caused a woman accept an inferior role under a patronizing man. The engineer marrying his secretary is an example.
2.2. Two egalitarians choose each other for shared traits based upon reciprocal respect and appreciation.
2.3. A man with a hierarchical-gregarious brain, who feels entitled to dominate and patronize a woman with an egalitarian brain, causes her serious suffering. Sometimes the man feels entitled to the top position by the mere fact of being male, sometimes he is a pathological narcissist and has the delusion of superiority, that he does not have.
But there is a big difference between being a member of a group and being half of a couple.
The person, who has a strong need to gain the benefits of a high position in a group, but who is earning it does not automatically assume the same role in a relationship. When he succeeds to get his needs met in a high position in his job or in a chosen group, he is not driven to establish a hierarchy also in a relationship with a woman, who prefers to be an equal partner.
The pathological narcissist is the real problem. He has such an urge for adulation and veneration, while he is unable to earn it, therefore he is eternally driven to manipulate, bluff and coerce people to comply with his delusion of giving him his narcissistic supply, but it never lasts. When his narcissism becomes disruptive in a group, he can either be removed or the person feeling disturbed can leave the group unharmed. Only the egalitarian woman, who had the bad luck to have become emotionally or legally tied to him is suffering a pain, that does not end, until the relationship has failed.
