Difficult conditions activate underlying weakness beneath nations’ superiority beliefs, motivating self-defense.

Evidence

The combination of a sense of superiority with weakness and vulnerability seems to have been present in Turkey, Cambodia, and Argentina as well. In Argentina, progressively deteriorating economic conditions and political vio­ lence deeply threatened a belief in the specialness and superiority of the na­ tion, especially strongly held by the military, and an elevated view by the military of itself as protector of the nation (Crawley, 1984). In both Cambo­ dia and Turkey, a past history of empire and national glory were deeply em­ bedded in group consciousness (Staub, 1989a). The existing conditions sharply contrasted with the glory of the past. Difficult life conditions threaten the belief in superiority and activate the underlying feelings of weakness and vulner­ ability. They intensify the need to defend and/or elevate the self-concept, both individual and cultural. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 98

Categorization

• XREF: Directly extends the superiority-plus-vulnerability mechanism to Turkey, Cambodia, and Argentina — multi-case corroboration of the pattern. — connects to: Grandiosity combined with fragile self-esteem drives defensive violence when threatened — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core: On the Role of…, 266; Perceiving a group as powerful and malevolent rationalizes extreme violence as self-defense; Cultural superiority paired with felt weakness predisposes groups to violence against others. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 96 (+8 more)

Broader Connections

• Cultural violence arises from superiority beliefs fused with underlying group vulnerability #corroborates (0.95) — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 96
• Cultural superiority paired with felt weakness predisposes groups to violence against others. #corroborates (0.92) — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 96
• Grandiosity combined with fragile self-esteem drives defensive violence when threatened #corroborates (0.90) — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 266
• The strong are enraged by the powerless because they must suppress their own fear. #corroborates (0.85) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 362
• People fear collapse and carry their own powerless enemy within themselves #expands (0.75) — Gil Anidjar, The Jew, the Arab, 747
• Perceiving a group as powerful and malevolent rationalizes extreme violence as self-defense #complicates (0.72)
• Ideologies that succeed in hard times generate enemies even if they start without them #expands (0.72) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3976
• Cornered destructiveness stops distinguishing self-destruction from outward violence #expands (0.72) — Theodor W. Adorno, Minima Moralia, 118
• National identity can ignite from defeat and subjection rather than flourishing. #expands (0.71) — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 2259
• Victims can internalize beliefs that actively worsen their own disadvantage. #qualifies (0.70) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1071
• Belief in one’s capability to cause effects is foundational to human motivation #complicates (0.70)