Malignant narcissism according to Erich Fromm

Malignant narcissism was defined by Erich Fromm in 1964.. He described it as a condition in which a person is characterized by bombastic, antisocial and hostile behavior. Its main trait is to dehumanize any scenario in which it finds itself, whether family or work. The lack of empathy and their Machiavellianism could undoubtedly create great havoc.

Nowadays, when we talk about the narcissistic personality, it is common for most of us to almost always have the same images come to mind. That of the classic superficial character taking selfies or, perhaps, that of that friend who always prioritizes herself, leaving others aside. However, these behaviors go much further. Often, we are faced with a disorder in which different subtypes can appear.

Erich Fromm told us about what, in his opinion, was the ‘fifth essence of evil’. As a witness to the events of the Second World War, this psychoanalyst, social psychologist and humanist philosopher of German Jewish origin wanted to lay the foundations for what, according to his own beliefs, could emerge as the most serious pathology of all. The one where one is capable of committing violent acts.

It should be noted that, today, from the field of neuroscience and psychology, they offer us much more varied definitions when it comes to understanding or explaining evil. However, Fromm He was a pioneer in his attempt to make it clear to us that narcissism is the germ of many harmful behaviors for humanity.. From a clinical point of view, it is undoubtedly very interesting to know this theory.

Characteristics of malignant narcissism

There is a first aspect that we must consider. As explained to us in a study carried out at the University of Michigan, United States, by Dr. Goldner-Vukov, malignant narcissism is a serious condition. However, psychiatric literature and research has forgotten it for decades since Erich Fromm defined it.

According to this work from 2010, It is a personality disorder with devastating consequences both at the level of the family nucleus and for society itself. Now, in recent years we have been hearing this term more and more as we see how behaviors appear on the political scene that, according to experts, could be attributed to malignant narcissism.

For example, John Gartner, a psychotherapist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and known for writing biographies of well-known politicians, pointed out something striking. In his opinion, Donald Trump would present this disorder. Even more, Something that he does not hesitate to point out is that this condition has no treatment whatsoever.. It is irreversible.

Let us therefore see what characteristics this condition presents.

Extreme narcissism and antisocial behavior

Narcissistic personality disorder is one of the cluster B personality disorders in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Now, something that we know well from the field of psychology and psychiatry is that No personality profile or disorder fits perfectly into one category.

Generally, features of other conditions appear. Hence Malignant narcissism is a combination between the most pronounced narcissism and the antisocial behavior so common in psychopathy. The most common traits are the following:

These people show a marked grandiosity. Lack of empathy.Lack of regrets.Impulsiveness. Disregard for the rights of others.Tendency to deceive and destructive behavior.

Malignant narcissism does not need reinforcement or external attention

A common characteristic of narcissism is the need to always be the center of attention. Their low self-esteem demands external reinforcement, validation and always being that presence to admire. However, the same does not happen in malignant narcissism. This type of personality has fully assumed its superiority and grandeur. There are no doubts in them and the only thing they seek is to position themselves emphatically wherever they are.

Erich Fromm described them in the following way: “They feel powerful because of those qualities that, according to them, were given to them at birth. I am great and superior to you, therefore I do not need to prove anything. I also don’t need to relate to anyone or make any effort. Maintaining the image of my greatness, I move further and further away from reality.”

Paranoid thinking and sadism

Psychiatrist Otto Kernberg, an American psychoanalyst of Austrian origin, also studied malignant narcissism. According to him, this profile is defined by the following characteristics:

Paranoid thinking. They often tend to think that there are people who are against them. His dichotomous thinking organizes the world between those who support him and those who do not. Hence, he distrusts anyone who is different, who contradicts him, who does not conform to his rigid vision of reality. Sadism. This profile does not hesitate to use cruelty, contempt, scathing criticism, manipulation and humiliation.. Now, the most striking thing about this is not only their behavior, but the fact that they often enjoy carrying out these acts.

Malignant Narcissists Just Need the Right Circumstances to Become Tyrants

Knowing this, the question that may come to many of us is: are malignant narcissists really dangerous? The answer is clear and forceful: yes. Having a parent, a partner, a manager or even a co-worker with this profile creates serious havoc.

An example, a few days ago A group of American psychologists and psychiatrists once again questioned the mental stability of the president of the United States.. The term malignant narcissism was put on the table once again, to reflect on the danger this could pose. Now, for many, for now, Trump is nothing more than the most prolific cyberstalker in history. His tweets show this.

However, experts point out that Malignant narcissism only needs certain circumstances for the true inner tyrant to emerge. Something that, without a doubt, we can see in North Korea with Kim Jong-Un. Therefore, let us keep this psychological condition in mind and focus on it the same importance that Erich Fromm gave it in his day.

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