“Hurt people, hurt people.” This is a fairly well known quote in the recovery community. As someone intimately aware of the affects of narcissistic abuse, it is discouraging to see this being expressed at a societal level. A recent study indicates that victim and/or virtue signaling is strong indicator of Dark Triad personalities: psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism. Perhaps, after years of parenting becoming in and of itself a secondary narcissistic vocation, rather than primary and sentimental, the neglected and abused children fueled by primitive defense mechanisms have become highly suggestable and live in delusions – Narcissism.
Anyone who has experienced narcissistic abuse, or understands the gathering problem darkening our society, is left awe struck by how long a person can remain deluded despite evidence-based reality, literally smacking them in the face to the contrary. These are adult children who’s development was arrested early in life. Narcissism, particularly the exceptionally cruel malignant narcissism, is not aware of itself. In fact, it thinks it knows it all, is special, has the imperative to control others, and because underneath it is hurt, it feels the absolute right to hurt, use, and quickly judge others while feeling justified.