He constitutes a threat to the
accepted order. When required to pay for his misdeeds, the narcissist
is always disdainful and bitter and feels misunderstood by his
inferiors.
Cooked books, corporate fraud, bending the (GAAP or other) rules,
sweeping problems under the carpet, over-promising, making grandiose
claims (the "vision thing") - are hallmarks of a narcissist in action.
When social cues and norms encourage such behavior rather than inhibit
it - in other words, when such behavior elicits abundant narcissistic
supply - the pattern is reinforced and become entrenched and rigid.
Even when circumstances change, the narcissist finds it difficult to
adapt, shed his routines, and replace them with new ones. He is trapped
in his past success. He becomes a swindler.
But pathological narcissism is not an isolated phenomenon. It is
embedded in our contemporary culture. The West's is a narcissistic
civilization. It upholds narcissistic values and penalizes alternative
value-systems. From an early age, children are taught to avoid
self-criticism, to deceive themselves regarding their capacities and
attainments, to feel entitled, and to exploit others.
As Lilian Katz observed in her important paper, "Distinctions between
Self-Esteem and Narcissism: Implications for Practice", published by
the Educational Resources Information Center, the line between
enhancing self-esteem and fostering narcissism is often blurred by
educators and parents.
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