‘Freedom’ march has unmasked the narcissists

Narcissistic behaviour is extremely shame-sensitive, but radiates shamelessness. Witness the situation in Sydney.

People have a right to ­become infected with a communicable disease, but they also have a responsibility to not infect others. Picture: Jane Dempster

When this pandemic hit the Western world, a particular school of thought emerged. It came from the right of the political spectrum, and the loudest proponents were politicians, overseas.

Sections of the media latched hold and ever since it has been validated, amplified and reinforced. Followers are identified as those who put forward some or all of these arguments:

Covid is a hoax, a plot by “the left” to shut down commerce. We are seeing the tyranny of the state smash the rights of individuals.

If Covid is real though, then it is only a mild disease. If it isn’t mild, then it will only kill the old – this is too bad, but they were going to die anyway, sooner or later.

If it doesn’t just kill the old and kills the young too, then it only kills those “with comorbidities” – terrible but, in the natural world, the survival of the fittest rules.

Speaking of deaths, most people die with Covid and not of Covid. If they do die of Covid though, then these deaths must be compared to deaths from other things, like cancer, accidents and suicide. As we just accept these, we should just accept Covid deaths too.

Importantly though, we have to live with this disease – aggressive suppression or elimination is futile.

Therefore, health orders shouldn’t be levied, they impact too much on people’s freedom. Citizens are intelligent and should be trusted to do the right thing, so let them do as they wish. People can take responsibility for their own health, they don’t need the government to look after them. If they get infected it’s on them, and anyone who doesn’t want to be infected can isolate permanently at home.

Even if this isn’t what the majority wants right now, because not enough people are vaccinated yet to do it, the most important thing is the economy. Shutting it down is too big a price to pay, so we just have to open up now and let the cards fall where they may.

Finally, people who don’t agree are just nanny state neurotics. Public servants and others with secure incomes who want to hide under the doona and expect governments to solve their every ­problem.

This school of thought described above has its epicentre in Sydney. Here is where a cluster of commentators ape the revolutionary streak seen on the fringes of the US political scene. These people seem to be lusting for their own Capitol Hill moment. The marches represent their triumphant expression of power and influence over society. A cohort within the NSW government are strong believers too. Their current influence in pandemic response decision-making is there for all to see.

The thinking has been described as libertarianism, but perhaps it is something else. Perhaps what we are seeing is less a valid political theory and more a manifestation of undeveloped character and stunted emotional growth.

Back in the 1970s, sociologist Christopher Lasch broke new ground with a book called The Culture of Narcissism. It discussed feelings of omnipotence, prosperity and security that took hold in the ’50s and beyond, as society recovered from the deprivation and sacrifice made during the war period. An anxious preoccupation with “self” had emerged. This wasn’t the healthy sense of self, one that allows for selfless conduct. Rather it was unmitigated self-interest as a driver of behaviour, me and my right to do as I please, even when it harms others.

Ever since, there has been much written about the growing prevalence of narcissism in society. Narcissism exists on a spectrum, and at the extreme end, affects about 1 in every 100 people as a personality disorder. It is characterised by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a lack of empathy for others, a need for excessive admiration, and the belief that one is unique and deserving of special treatment. In Why is it Always About You? The Seven Deadly Sins of Narcissism, Sandy Hotchkiss lists key traits to observe.

Narcissistic behaviour is extremely shame-sensitive, but radiates shamelessness, cool indifference or even amorality. Witness the anti-lockdown marchers last weekend and how they posted afterwards on social media. One candidate for public office in Sydney even posted how delighted he was to receive a fine from police.

Narcissists have a “superiority complex” and feel the rules don’t apply to them. For themselves, they create idealised versions of life, in every way they see themselves as better than everyone else. To keep up this facade, magical thinking is required. A strong sense of entitlement is at their core, they don’t recognise or observe boundaries. They are incapable of empathy towards others, their needs take precedence over the needs of everyone else.

If we reflect back to the war period, if narcissists existed, they would be the ones refusing to keep their house in darkness at night by putting newspaper over their windows.

Perhaps now, narcissism has reached its peak and will fade from here. The times necessitate less focus on individual rights and more focus on individual responsibilities.

People have a right to ­become infected with a communicable disease, but they also have a responsibility to not infect others.