The proposed symptoms include grandiosity and self-centeredness (an inflated sense of self-importance, craving constant admiration, and believing they are superior to others), lack of empathy (inability or unwillingness to recognize or care about others’ feelings or needs), manipulative and exploitative behavior (using others for personal gain, often with deceit or charm, without remorse), antisocial traits (disregard for rules, laws, or social norms, often engaging in aggressive or harmful behavior), paranoia or suspicion (a tendency to mistrust others, believing they are out to undermine or harm them), sadistic tendencies (deriving pleasure from others’ suffering or exerting control through fear or intimidation).
Unlike typical narcissism, which may involve arrogance but not necessarily malice, malignant narcissism includes a deliberate intent to harm or dominate others. It is often associated with destructive relationships, workplace toxicity, or even criminal behavior in extreme cases.
The term was first introduced by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm in 1964 and later expanded by others like Otto Kernberg in 1984. Fromm characterized the condition as a form of narcissism, in which the individual takes pride in their own inherent traits rather than their achievements, and thus does not require a connection to other people or to reality[1]. Fromm, a Holocaust survivor, suggested that malignant narcissism is a severe and destructive pathology that can lie at the heart of the inhumane acts exhibited by dictatorial tyrants such as Hitler and Stalin. Modern psychologists suggest that Donald Trump is also a candidate for a diagnosis of Malignant Narcissism.
While not a formal diagnosis, it is mentioned in alternative models of personality disorders as a severe subtype of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, adding traits like antisocial behavior.
[1] Fromm: Individual and Social Narcissism in The Heart of Man: Its Genius for Good and Evil (1964)
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