In several previous posts I have discussed the ways in which religion and religiosity seem to be a form or symptom of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I recently came across a quotation from Sam Vaknin, an expert on narcissism whose writings I linked to in one of those posts. That quotation helps explain succinctly why religion is, at a minimum, often a symptom of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
In other words, the eager, diligent, and thoughtless conformity of the religious is necessary to attain the approval of others, which, apparently, is more important to them than anything--even the truth. The willingness to sacrifice all other concerns in order to obtain ego gratification can be called the central characteristic of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The name for this gratification is "narcissistic supply"--a relatively generic term coined by Dr. Otto Fenichel in recognition of the fact that different narcissists will have different ways of gratifying the needs of their egos.
Religion as Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Religion as Narcissistic Delusion
Religion as Narcissistic Delusion, Part II
Religion as Narcissistic Delusion, DSM-IV
"[N]arcissists - both men and women - are chauvinistically conservative. They depend to such an extent on the opinions of people around them - that, with time, they are transformed into ultra-sensitive seismographs of public opinion, barometers of prevailing winds and guardians of conformity. Narcissists cannot afford to seriously alienate those who reflect to them their False Self. The very proper and on-going functioning of their Ego depends on the goodwill and the collaboration of their human environment."
In other words, the eager, diligent, and thoughtless conformity of the religious is necessary to attain the approval of others, which, apparently, is more important to them than anything--even the truth. The willingness to sacrifice all other concerns in order to obtain ego gratification can be called the central characteristic of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The name for this gratification is "narcissistic supply"--a relatively generic term coined by Dr. Otto Fenichel in recognition of the fact that different narcissists will have different ways of gratifying the needs of their egos.
Religion as Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Religion as Narcissistic Delusion
Religion as Narcissistic Delusion, Part II
Religion as Narcissistic Delusion, DSM-IV
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteReligion in which God is worshiped and not the self = narcissism disorder lol? What a bad atheist argument. No, that's humanistic atheism. Oh and, the high scholars of the DSM removed narcissism disorder as a mental disorder, guess why?
ReplyDeleteAtheism truly is a destructive lie that makes you morally backwards. So is the mindset of a narcissist.
http://narcissist.tk
You can read my reply to this idiotic comment here:
Deletehttp://goodatheistarguments.blogspot.com/2012/01/perfect-example.html
"Religion as Narcissistic Personality Disorder" that doesn't even make grammatical sense lol. Religion is not a personality you idiot. God atheists have trouble with logic.
ReplyDeleteThis comment is so nonsensical that it doesn't really merit a response, but I will point out that "narcissistic" and "personality" are being used here (and in DSM IV) as adjectives to modify the word "disorder". Thus, the post is comparing religion to a disorder, a mental disorder, not to a personality.
Delete