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People who are antagonistic narcissists and those with psychopathic tendencies are more likely to support left-wing political ideologies, according to a recent study.
Individuals with right-wing beliefs have been the subject of much of the research on authoritarianism so study authors Ann Krispenz and Alex Bertrams wanted to explore the psychological factors of the other side.
“There is a wide range of literature and research in the field of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA),” they told PsyPost.org. “However, research on authoritarianism observed in individuals who are supportive of left-wing political ideologies are still rare.”
They noted that many researchers have been skeptical of the notion of left-wing authoritarianism so they wanted to delve deeper because they “expected individuals with higher levels of left-wing authoritarianism (LWA) to also report higher levels of narcissism,” based on existing research.
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As a result, they uncovered a new phenomenon which they called the “dark-ego-vehicle principle.”
“According to this principle, individuals with dark personalities — such as high narcissistic and psychopathic traits — are attracted to certain forms of political and social activism which they can use as a vehicle to satisfy their own ego-focused needs instead of actually aiming at social justice and equality,” they told the website.
“In particular, certain forms of activism might provide them with opportunities for positive self-presentation and displays of moral superiority, to gain social status, to dominate others, and to engage in social conflicts and aggression to satisfy their need for thrill seeking.”
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Krispenz and Bertrams performed two studies: the first with 391 individuals with an average age of 46 who took part in various online tests; while the second further examined the relationship between narcissism and LWA in 377 participants in the same age range, focusing specifically on antihierarchical aggression.
They found that many times, left-wingers do not practise what they preach and their fight for social justice is merely used as a pretense for activists to act out.
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“An individual high in LWA might declare anyone to be ‘old-fashioned’ who is opposing their own ‘progressive values,’ strive to suppress free speech to regulate the expression of right-wing beliefs in educational institutions, and even endorse the use of violence to reach their own political goals,” the authors said.
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The authors acknowledged that authoritarianism exists on both political sides.
“The dark-ego-vehicle principle means that involvement in (violent) political activism is not solely attributable to political orientation but rather to personality traits manifesting in individuals on the (radical) left and right of the political spectrum,” they noted.
“Accordingly, some individuals with high levels of antagonistic narcissism may be motivated to endorse either right- or left-wing ideological attitudes depending on which of these attitudes seems to be more opportune to them given a specific situation.”
https://torontosun.com/news/world/left-wing-extremism-and-psychopathic-tendencies-go-hand-in-hand-study
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