Malicious Narcissism According To Erich Fromm

Erich Fromm defined the concept of malignant narcissism in 1964. He described it as a disease in which the individual is characterized by pompous, antisocial, and hostile behavior. The people who suffer from it dehumanize every situation they find themselves in. Their lack of empathy as well as their resentment can hurt other people.

We get a similar image today when we hear talk of a narcissistic personality. Maybe we always think of such a general, superficial person who just takes selfies of himself and publishes them on social media. Another example is a person who always puts himself first and ignores the world around him. However, the behavior of a person with a narcissistic personality goes much further than this.

Erich Fromm spoke of what he considered the fifth basic essence of evil. After witnessing the events of World War II, this German-Jewish psychoanalyst, social psychologist, and humanist-philosopher wanted to lay the groundwork for what, in his own beliefs, could become the most serious illness of all time. One that makes people sick with committing acts of violence.

We should note that from this day on, the fields of neuroscience and psychology provide different definitions for understanding or explaining evil. However, Fromm was a pioneer in trying to make it clear that narcissism is the origin of many harmful human behaviors. This theory is incredibly interesting from a clinical perspective.

Characteristics of malicious narcissism

We should consider one important aspect. Dr. Goldner-Vukov of the University of Michigan conducted a study in which he came to the conclusion that malignant narcissism is a serious disease. However, psychiatric studies and the literature forgot this for decades until it was defined by Erich Fromm.

According to a study by Goldner-Vukov, it is a personality disorder with devastating consequences. We have heard more and more talk about it in recent years. We see, for example, how different political situations are fraught with the kind of behavior that experts say can be associated with malevolent narcissism.

Here’s an example of that. John Gartner, a Psychotherapist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, known for writing biographies of political figures, noticed something quite striking. According to him, Donald Trump serves as a clear example of this disease. He also did not hesitate to point out that there is no cure for this disease. It is an irreversible disease.

Let’s look at some of the characteristics of this disease:

Extreme narcissism and antisocial behavior

Narcissistic personality disorder is a group B personality disorder in the DSM-5 classification system. However, we know very well from the fields of psychology and psychiatry that no personality profile or disorder will ever fit perfectly into one category.

Thus, it is usually associated with the characteristics of other diseases. Malignant narcissism is thus a combination of the most obvious narcissism and antisocial behavior that is very common in psychopathy.

• A huge sense of pomp.
• Lack of empathy.
• Lack of remorse.
• Impulsiveness.
• Contempt for the rights of others.
• Tendency to deceptive or destructive behavior.

Malicious narcissism does not require confirmation or external attention

A common feature of narcissism is the constant need to always be the center of attention. The narcissist’s low self-esteem requires confirmation, validation, and admiration all the time. However, this is not the case with malicious narcissism. People with this personality type have fully embraced their role as superior and magnificent, and don’t doubt it for a second. They are just trying to put themselves in a higher position, wherever they go.

Erich Fromm described such people as follows: “They feel in power because of the qualities they believed they acquired at birth. I’m better than you, so I don’t have to prove anything. I don’t have to interact with anyone or see the effort in front of anyone. I move further away from reality, the more I maintain the image of this greatness. ”

Paranoia thinking and sadism

Otto Kernberg, an American psychoanalyst of Austrian origin, also studied malicious narcissism. According to him, this profile is defined by the following features:

• Paranoia thinking. They tend to think that the people around them are conspiring against them. Their dichotomous way of thinking makes them divide their world into people who support them as well as people who do not support them. This is because of their distrust of different people who disagree with them and don’t fit their rigid picture of reality.

• Sadism.  These people do not hesitate to take advantage of cruelty, contempt, harsh criticism, manipulation, and humiliation. The most striking aspect of them all is that they often enjoy acting this way towards others.

Malicious narcissism requires only the right kind of conditions to turn into tyranny

As we realize this, the question arises: are malevolent narcissists really dangerous? The answer is clear and affirmative. It can be harmful if your parent, partner, supervisor, or coworker owns such a character.

Some time ago, a group of American psychologists and psychiatrists questioned the mental stability of the President of the United States. Malicious narcissism once again emerged, causing everyone to consider the potential danger it posed. However, many believe Trump is just the most lucrative cyberstalker in history.

However, experts point out that malevolent narcissism requires certain conditions in order for a true inner tyrant to emerge. It is therefore important to keep this psychological illness in mind and begin to focus on the importance that Erich Fromm once gave it.