Narcissistic self-regard may be projected onto groups as competitive victimhood.
Evidence
For example, it would be intriguing to empirically test the theoretical proposition that the so-called narcissistic epidemic (Twenge 2006) or certain parenting styles that encourage children to externalize blame (Lukianoff & Haidt 2018) contribute to competitive victimhood. This could manifest through individuals projecting narcissistic feelings of unmet deservingness onto their ingroup (see Golec de Zavala 2024) while directing blame toward the outgroup. — Nurit Shnabel and Johannes Ullrich, Identity Needs in Intergroup Relations, 150
Categorization
- XREF: Plausibly connects to the idea that personal narcissism converts to collective grievance — a mechanism linking individual pathology to the victim-group identity-restoration process central to the reader’s synthesis. — connects to: Both perpetrator- and victim-group members engage in competitive victimhood when accused — Nurit Shnabel and Johannes Ullrich, Identity Needs in Intergroup Relations:…, 120; Competitive victimhood serves opposite identity needs for victims versus perpetrator groups. — Nurit Shnabel and Johannes Ullrich, Identity Needs in Intergroup Relations:…, 122; Collective narcissism drives hierarchy-reinforcing action in perpetrator groups but hierarchy-challenging action in victim groups. — Nurit Shnabel and Johannes Ullrich, Identity Needs in Intergroup Relations:…, 129 (+3 more)
- SEED: Angle: how unmet individual deservingness is laundered into collective identity — an essay on narcissism as the midwife of competitive victimhood across both personal and social identity levels.
- QUESTION: Worth chasing: is there empirical evidence that externalized-blame parenting styles specifically predict group-level victimhood, not just individual entitlement?
Broader Connections
- Dominant majority and the group it harmed show asymmetric victimhood dynamics.
#expands(0.78) — R. C. Tripathi, R. Kumar, and V. N. Tripathi, When the Advantaged Feel Victimised, 127 - Threatened identity and low collective self-esteem fuel out-group scapegoating.
#expands(0.75) — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 912 - Critique of in-group values is resented as narcissistic loss
#expands(0.72) — Theodor W. Adorno, The Culture Industry, 198