Surprising Reasons Why Narcissists Like Conspiracy Theories
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-new-home/202208/surprising-reasons-why-narcissists-conspiracy-theories
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RedBaron · M
@iamonfire696 I wasn’t blaming him. Just saying it didn’t work.
iamonfire696 · 41-45, F
@RedBaron it sucks we can’t click on links but it does work.
If you really want to read it I could copy and paste it into an email for you and then you could click on it from the link.
If you really want to read it I could copy and paste it into an email for you and then you could click on it from the link.
RedBaron · M
.
SW-User
Damn, this seems so spot on ... and you could not have a more definitive archetype than the Orange Sh-tgibbon
[quote]… Though many people believe in conspiracies, research suggests narcissists are particularly prone to believing in them, just as they are prone to believing in other odd or irrational phenomena. Cichocka et al. note, “Overall, meta-analytic effects ranging from r = 0.22 to r = 0.26 suggest that narcissism is one of the best psychological predictors of conspiracy beliefs.”
The authors argue that three facets underlying narcissism are, via different processes, associated with conspiracy beliefs.
These three facets of narcissism are (see Figure 1):
Agentic extraversion: Related to being assertive, self-confident, charming, and reward-seeking. This is how narcissists try to gain the admiration of others.
Antagonism: Associated with being arrogant, callous, dishonest, distrustful, exploitative, and entitled. This is how narcissists defend themselves against threats and compete with rivals.
Neuroticism: Linked with the experience of shame, low self-esteem, negative emotions, and relationship difficulties.
[big]The link between narcissism and conspiracy beliefs[/big]
[b]Paranoia, the need for dominance, the desire for uniqueness, and gullibility[/b]
Compared to the average person, narcissists—and people with other dark personality traits, such as psychopathy and Machiavellianism—tend to have higher levels of paranoia.
Narcissists often assume others are “out to get them.” Perhaps it is these paranoid perceptions of threats to the self that give rise to beliefs about conspiracies and threats to society.
The need for control and dominance, combined with the anticipation of defeat, is also associated with the belief in conspiracies.
After all, for people who have a strong need for control and domination, blaming and scapegoating others is easier than accepting defeat.
The need for uniqueness, typically associated with the agentic extraversion aspect of grandiose narcissism, may also increase the likelihood of belief in conspiracies. Why? Because being able to see through the “smoke screens that hide the incredible truth” could give narcissists a “sense of being special, of being one of the few people who see the truth.”
Another factor is gullibility: Despite their overconfidence, narcissists can be quite naïve and gullible. This may be partly due to their tendency to go with their gut feelings than to deliberate.
Over-reliance on gut feelings and intuition might also explain why narcissists tend to hold odd and unusual beliefs, such as belief in astrology or conspiracy theories….[/quote]
[quote]… Though many people believe in conspiracies, research suggests narcissists are particularly prone to believing in them, just as they are prone to believing in other odd or irrational phenomena. Cichocka et al. note, “Overall, meta-analytic effects ranging from r = 0.22 to r = 0.26 suggest that narcissism is one of the best psychological predictors of conspiracy beliefs.”
The authors argue that three facets underlying narcissism are, via different processes, associated with conspiracy beliefs.
These three facets of narcissism are (see Figure 1):
Agentic extraversion: Related to being assertive, self-confident, charming, and reward-seeking. This is how narcissists try to gain the admiration of others.
Antagonism: Associated with being arrogant, callous, dishonest, distrustful, exploitative, and entitled. This is how narcissists defend themselves against threats and compete with rivals.
Neuroticism: Linked with the experience of shame, low self-esteem, negative emotions, and relationship difficulties.
[big]The link between narcissism and conspiracy beliefs[/big]
[b]Paranoia, the need for dominance, the desire for uniqueness, and gullibility[/b]
Compared to the average person, narcissists—and people with other dark personality traits, such as psychopathy and Machiavellianism—tend to have higher levels of paranoia.
Narcissists often assume others are “out to get them.” Perhaps it is these paranoid perceptions of threats to the self that give rise to beliefs about conspiracies and threats to society.
The need for control and dominance, combined with the anticipation of defeat, is also associated with the belief in conspiracies.
After all, for people who have a strong need for control and domination, blaming and scapegoating others is easier than accepting defeat.
The need for uniqueness, typically associated with the agentic extraversion aspect of grandiose narcissism, may also increase the likelihood of belief in conspiracies. Why? Because being able to see through the “smoke screens that hide the incredible truth” could give narcissists a “sense of being special, of being one of the few people who see the truth.”
Another factor is gullibility: Despite their overconfidence, narcissists can be quite naïve and gullible. This may be partly due to their tendency to go with their gut feelings than to deliberate.
Over-reliance on gut feelings and intuition might also explain why narcissists tend to hold odd and unusual beliefs, such as belief in astrology or conspiracy theories….[/quote]