Narcissist’s Grievances vs. Real Victim’s Complaints
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the difference between narcissists who claim to be victims and true victims. He explains that narcissists focus on external appearances and complain about losing status, reputation, and possessions, while true victims are inward-oriented and complain about the loss of personal identity, shattered inner peace, and broken dreams. He emphasizes that narcissists lack a rich internal life and their grievances are superficial, while real victims experience deep emotional and psychological damage. Additionally, he highlights that narcissists often present themselves as pure and angelic, denying any wrongdoing, while real victims recognize the interplay between the abuser and themselves and seek to restore their inner core.
Dispatches from the End of the World (Technoculture with Federica Bressan)
In this lecture, Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the psychology of the metaverse and its potential impact on human behavior. He argues that the metaverse represents a commodification of reality and a shift towards a more narcissistic and psychopathic society. Vaknin believes that the metaverse will exacerbate existing societal problems, such as victimhood, paranoia, and conspiracy theories, and that people will be drawn to the metaverse as a form of escapism from the unbearable realities of the world. He also expresses concern about the breakdown of intergender relations and the decline of intimacy and community in modern society. Vaknin suggests that the metaverse may offer an attractive alternative to the current state of the world, which he describes as the worst period in human history due to the lack of support and the prevalence of global challenges.
Why Narcissist Never Listens to YOU? (Hint: Because he CAN’T: Attentional Narrowing)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the concept of attentional narrowing and hyper focus in narcissism. He explains that narcissists suffer from dissociation, memory gaps, and amnesia, which are not fully explained by dissociation. Attentional narrowing is a serious problem for narcissists, as their attention is focused on obtaining narcissistic supply and maintaining grandiosity, leading to a lack of attention for others and the environment. Hyper focus and attentional narrowing are also observed in other mental health conditions such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and psychopathy. These phenomena are associated with heightened emotional arousal and a drive to withdraw from negative emotions. The lecture emphasizes the negative impact of attentional narrowing on self-control and the ability to focus on relevant information.
Psychology of War Criminals (TalkTV with Petrie Hosken)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the transformation of individuals in war, attributing it to psychological defense mechanisms and fear. He explains how bonding with the enemy and the breakdown of ethical consensus lead to abnormal behavior and the commission of war crimes. Vaknin emphasizes the role of conformity and peer pressure in war, but also highlights the potential for individuals to resist committing war crimes. Overall, he stresses the complexity and ugliness of war, acknowledging that not all soldiers commit war crimes despite the pressures to do so.
Why the Emptiness in Borderlines, Narcissists? (Introjection Failure and Compulsive Introjection)
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the emptiness inside borderlines and narcissists, exploring the origins and causes of this void. He explains that all individuals are born with an empty core and that the process of introjection and internalization is crucial in developing a sense of self and relationships with others. However, borderlines and narcissists struggle with these processes, leading to a persistent feeling of emptiness. Borderlines rely on external objects to compensate for their inability to introject, while narcissists constantly introject to mask their emptiness. Vaknin also delves into the concepts of object constancy, internalization, interjection, identification, and incorporation, and how dysfunctions in these mechanisms contribute to the development of borderline and narcissistic personalities.
How Narcissist, Borderline Morph Into Each Other
Professor Sam Vaknin announces his extended appointment as a professor at CEOPS and his new role teaching management studies. He then delves into the debate on the relationship between narcissism and borderline personality disorder, discussing the views of prominent scholars and offering his own perspective. He explains how narcissism is a defense mechanism against the core problem of emotional dysregulation, and how both narcissism and borderline personality disorder involve dependency on others. He concludes that both disorders are on the same spectrum, with different solutions and defenses for the same core issue of emotional regulation.
The Rich Have You BRAINWASHED: Capitalism is a Zero-sum Game, They WIN, YOU LOSE
Professor Sam Vaknin’s lecture at Euro College in North Macedonia went viral due to its complexity, covering history, cultural studies, and economics. He clarifies that he is qualified to discuss economics due to his extensive experience and publications in the field. Vaknin argues that capitalism is a zero-sum game, benefiting the rich at the expense of the poor, and provides evidence to support his claim, including the impact of taxation, inflation, and the depletion of natural resources. He also discusses the illusion of economic growth through fiat money, debt, and a symbolic economy, ultimately concluding that the system is rigged to benefit the rich and exploit the poor.
Will AI Kill Us All? Future with Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has been a concept throughout human history, with automatons and cults being examples. It is the belief that intelligence is the result of creation and behavior. However, AI displays behaviors that cannot be traced back to programming, and it makes its own decisions, leading to a lack of control. AI also generates narratives and imposes them on human beings, creating an alternative virtual reality. The lecture also discusses the transition from an attention economy to a reality manipulative economy, where reality is controlled and sold back to individuals. The democratization of power and the rise of malignant egalitarianism are also mentioned, with AI empowering narcissism and creating a world of gods.
Future is Networking, Hierarchies Dead (Seminar in Skopje, North Macedonia)
Professor Sam Vaknin’s lecture covered the following key points: 1. Networks are fundamentally different from hierarchies, with their own characteristics and life cycles. 2. The study of networks has advanced significantly in the past two decades, largely due to the proliferation of computer networks. 3. Networks organize people based on time rather than space, with early participants often reaping the most benefits. 4. Information and power in networks flow horizontally, as opposed to the vertical flow in hierarchies. 5. Networks empower individuals and are constructed on equipotence, while hierarchies disempower and are built on impotence. 6. Networks are more susceptible to external shocks due to their homophilic nature, which can lead to a lack of diversity and resilience. 7. The life cycle of networks includes a mimetic phase (introduction of ideas), an externality phase (network growth and benefits), and potentially a decay phase if the network fails to innovate or maintain internal value. 8. Networks that are self-contained and provide comprehensive value to their members are more likely to succeed and grow. 9. Weak ties within networks, individuals with loose connections to many groups, are crucial for the dissemination of information and innovation. 10. The future of networks likely involves multiplex (multiple types of connections), multimodal (various roles for participants), and multilevel (hierarchical structures) characteristics.
Narcissist: My Gut Instinct Rules, My Intuition is FACT!
Professor Sam Vaknin discusses the narcissist’s perception of intuition and knowledge. He explains that the narcissist perceives his intuition as objective and factual, trusting it as others trust science. The narcissist believes he is omniscient and does not need to acquire knowledge from external sources. He lacks curiosity and does not learn from others, perceiving reality as a problem if it does not conform to his conclusions. The narcissist’s impaired reality testing leads to internal confirmation bias and a belief in his own comprehensive knowledge.