I think that narcissism is very much a part of paranoid thinking. It is the other side of paranoia. 'I am being watched' is the shadow side. 'Look at me everybody' is the lit side. That is a binary, but one that is observable. Spin that coin and you have a psychic dynamo, one that is noticeable in people with manic depression / bipolar disorder. It has rhythms. They harvest attention and get a high from that. They wear themselves out on the attention seeking treadmill. Then they move toward a low. When exhausted they become irritable and can become more obviously dangerous to the welfare of those they lured in with their charisma or whatnot.
Paranoid thinking can become an analogue of the bipolar rhythmic pattern. It runs its crazy highs and lows and eventually blows up. Central banks have a similar long term effect on the economic, financial and currency health of a nation.
I believe that most people would agree that evidence based thinking is the best approach, but it breaks down when a person becomes emotional. Hence (I believe) the social media channels posting memes that make one's blood boil. It is a way to play a target audience out of rational thought and into an emotional dynamic that might - if those in that audience are not able to observe themselves in the moment - make one feel paranoid. That is a potential paranoia/narcissism induction or activation. For narcissists, and anyone else who lacks enough objective self assessment ability to pass by these things safely, the emotional event allows the meme Trojan horse through the gate. It seems like absurd understatement to say that there is a lot of that going on at the moment. It is timely to be republishing this article now.
Generally mania = false pattern recognition/causal connections driven by an expansive, ebullient affect. Paranoia = false pattern recognition/causal connections driven by an affect of fear and hatred. In the bipolar person, mania is connected with narcissistic self-confidence and display. But since such people inevitably come off as weird, people don’t respond to them the way the manic narcissist thinks they should. Then the affect turns fearful and hateful (usually coinciding with the depressive part of the cycle). But since narcissists resist revising their self-image, they reach for paranoid explanations for why others are not meeting their narcissistic supply needs.
I wasn't trying to suggest that both were the same, hence the use of analogue which is meant to suggest overlapping circles not the same circle (as it were). Both circles can overlap in an individual. I am connecting by metaphor to illumine interesting similarities. But perhaps your reply is to clarify distinctions internally. I lack the training to theorise deeply. I am interested in everyday life understanding. In the end it is down to what is useful. We tend to experience these things through instinct and perhaps also intuition.
An etymological point of view often assists.
From the etymology of mania: "late 14c., "mental derangement characterized by excitement and delusion." From the etymology of paranoia: ""mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions of more or less definite scope," 1848 (earlier paranoea 1811)."
Following paranoia to its root, we gain clarity: "Middle English medical writing has suspecioushed "suspicioushood") for "pathological or delusional state of suspiciousness" (early 15c.). And back then they achieved that without even having an internet.
Another great article. The first paranoid to come to mind while reading it was Joseph Jordan. Especially after you make the point that the paranoid style is fuelled by narcissism.
A well reasoned and presented article. Unfortunately, I can see too many nationalist, especially ethno-nats caught up in the echo-chambers that we have created for ourselves. Even more regrettable, I can see some of this in myself and those like me... I think I'm going to go for a pint and try to clear my head...
A good article, however, the belief that a New York real estate hustler with deep ties to ethnic organised crime might be a fraud and not have one’s best interest at heart hardly qualifies as paranoia. Pragmatism might describe it better.
I found this lacking in substance and vaguely reminscent of some sort of Societ denunciation leading up to a purge. You don’t deal with paranoia by shouting the word “paranoia, paranoia, paranoia!” ten times in an article. You assert something.
You win by asserting your beliefs again and again, until people follow you because you are the person who held fast. Sewing discontent and infighting is not beneficial. What you’ve said at length here could have been done in three sentences.
“Hi guys, things are going well but let’s mind not attacking one another for x reasons. I saw this happen yesterday in this specific example.”
Just because youre paranoid, doesn't mean they're not after you.
White replacement was a paranoid conspiracy theory less than a year ago.
The Butler shooting was absurdly staged and sold as legitimate.
The Kirk shooting? You have to be smooth brained to believe that Tyler Robinson committed this act, and that a 30-06 was the bullet.
But of course, anyone who doesn't believe the smooth brained narrative of Robinson is a conspiratard. The push to not question is because the transition to a new society will need to be believed. Sorry I choose truth over power. Thanks.
Have you ever watched the Carbanaro Effect? Its a magic show where Michael Carbanaro is able to get people to believe that he is able to make a wooden duck walk and quack like a real duck.
Basically what youre telling me is that you see the magic trick and you believe I am the gullible one for not believing the wooden duck is able to walk and quack.
Youre obviously not stupid. Youre true motives are known only to you.
The Trump example was an excellent way of putting it. Because he didn’t follow through on mass deportations and America first policies in general, therefore, he was a fraud all along. I think the paranoia has become more prevalent because people start getting into conspiracy theories without any real intellectual grounding. Everything they know about certain taboo topics has been fed to them on their social media feeds. Once they start to get an understanding of how many lies that have been told to them, there is nothing left for them to fall back on, and now everything is a conspiracy. This is exactly why so many people in the “antisemitism” camp have gone completely off the deep end. Great piece!
Can we replace the term paranoid with just plain cautious? White Nationalists are very keen to recognizing patterns. We knew what Trump was and who his friends were. We cautiously supported him because the alternative was simply out of the question. In hindsight Trump’s betrayals were very predictable.
I think that narcissism is very much a part of paranoid thinking. It is the other side of paranoia. 'I am being watched' is the shadow side. 'Look at me everybody' is the lit side. That is a binary, but one that is observable. Spin that coin and you have a psychic dynamo, one that is noticeable in people with manic depression / bipolar disorder. It has rhythms. They harvest attention and get a high from that. They wear themselves out on the attention seeking treadmill. Then they move toward a low. When exhausted they become irritable and can become more obviously dangerous to the welfare of those they lured in with their charisma or whatnot.
Paranoid thinking can become an analogue of the bipolar rhythmic pattern. It runs its crazy highs and lows and eventually blows up. Central banks have a similar long term effect on the economic, financial and currency health of a nation.
I believe that most people would agree that evidence based thinking is the best approach, but it breaks down when a person becomes emotional. Hence (I believe) the social media channels posting memes that make one's blood boil. It is a way to play a target audience out of rational thought and into an emotional dynamic that might - if those in that audience are not able to observe themselves in the moment - make one feel paranoid. That is a potential paranoia/narcissism induction or activation. For narcissists, and anyone else who lacks enough objective self assessment ability to pass by these things safely, the emotional event allows the meme Trojan horse through the gate. It seems like absurd understatement to say that there is a lot of that going on at the moment. It is timely to be republishing this article now.
Generally mania = false pattern recognition/causal connections driven by an expansive, ebullient affect. Paranoia = false pattern recognition/causal connections driven by an affect of fear and hatred. In the bipolar person, mania is connected with narcissistic self-confidence and display. But since such people inevitably come off as weird, people don’t respond to them the way the manic narcissist thinks they should. Then the affect turns fearful and hateful (usually coinciding with the depressive part of the cycle). But since narcissists resist revising their self-image, they reach for paranoid explanations for why others are not meeting their narcissistic supply needs.
I wasn't trying to suggest that both were the same, hence the use of analogue which is meant to suggest overlapping circles not the same circle (as it were). Both circles can overlap in an individual. I am connecting by metaphor to illumine interesting similarities. But perhaps your reply is to clarify distinctions internally. I lack the training to theorise deeply. I am interested in everyday life understanding. In the end it is down to what is useful. We tend to experience these things through instinct and perhaps also intuition.
An etymological point of view often assists.
From the etymology of mania: "late 14c., "mental derangement characterized by excitement and delusion." From the etymology of paranoia: ""mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions of more or less definite scope," 1848 (earlier paranoea 1811)."
Following paranoia to its root, we gain clarity: "Middle English medical writing has suspecioushed "suspicioushood") for "pathological or delusional state of suspiciousness" (early 15c.). And back then they achieved that without even having an internet.
https://www.etymonline.com/
I don't think mania and narcissism are the same things, but they do overlap, as do narcissism and paranoia.
I didn't think you did!
Another great article. The first paranoid to come to mind while reading it was Joseph Jordan. Especially after you make the point that the paranoid style is fuelled by narcissism.
A well reasoned and presented article. Unfortunately, I can see too many nationalist, especially ethno-nats caught up in the echo-chambers that we have created for ourselves. Even more regrettable, I can see some of this in myself and those like me... I think I'm going to go for a pint and try to clear my head...
A good article, however, the belief that a New York real estate hustler with deep ties to ethnic organised crime might be a fraud and not have one’s best interest at heart hardly qualifies as paranoia. Pragmatism might describe it better.
I found this lacking in substance and vaguely reminscent of some sort of Societ denunciation leading up to a purge. You don’t deal with paranoia by shouting the word “paranoia, paranoia, paranoia!” ten times in an article. You assert something.
You win by asserting your beliefs again and again, until people follow you because you are the person who held fast. Sewing discontent and infighting is not beneficial. What you’ve said at length here could have been done in three sentences.
“Hi guys, things are going well but let’s mind not attacking one another for x reasons. I saw this happen yesterday in this specific example.”
Otherwise you are just adding fuel to the fire.
Agree with you on this point.
Just because youre paranoid, doesn't mean they're not after you.
White replacement was a paranoid conspiracy theory less than a year ago.
The Butler shooting was absurdly staged and sold as legitimate.
The Kirk shooting? You have to be smooth brained to believe that Tyler Robinson committed this act, and that a 30-06 was the bullet.
But of course, anyone who doesn't believe the smooth brained narrative of Robinson is a conspiratard. The push to not question is because the transition to a new society will need to be believed. Sorry I choose truth over power. Thanks.
I think you are overly credulous and thus inclined toward the paranoid style, viz Butler and the Kirk killing.
You have an inverted view of reality.
Have you ever watched the Carbanaro Effect? Its a magic show where Michael Carbanaro is able to get people to believe that he is able to make a wooden duck walk and quack like a real duck.
Basically what youre telling me is that you see the magic trick and you believe I am the gullible one for not believing the wooden duck is able to walk and quack.
Youre obviously not stupid. Youre true motives are known only to you.
Carry on.
The Trump example was an excellent way of putting it. Because he didn’t follow through on mass deportations and America first policies in general, therefore, he was a fraud all along. I think the paranoia has become more prevalent because people start getting into conspiracy theories without any real intellectual grounding. Everything they know about certain taboo topics has been fed to them on their social media feeds. Once they start to get an understanding of how many lies that have been told to them, there is nothing left for them to fall back on, and now everything is a conspiracy. This is exactly why so many people in the “antisemitism” camp have gone completely off the deep end. Great piece!
Can we replace the term paranoid with just plain cautious? White Nationalists are very keen to recognizing patterns. We knew what Trump was and who his friends were. We cautiously supported him because the alternative was simply out of the question. In hindsight Trump’s betrayals were very predictable.
Caution is rational. Paranoia is irrational.