Sam Vaknin distinguishes constructive truthtelling from sadistic honesty, arguing that honesty becomes harmful when it targets others’ vulnerabilities, is performed publicly to humiliate, or is used for self-aggrandizement. He emphasizes
The speaker explains that narcissists experience death differently from healthy people: they psychologically deny death and experience an internalized state of “being dead,” so external deaths register as mere factual
The speaker distinguishes independence (healthy ego and boundary maintenance with cooperative engagement) from defiance (exclusionary, antagonistic withdrawal), and maps a spectrum of reactant defiance from ostentatious eccentricity through nonconformity and
Professor Sam Vaknin discussed the distinction between legitimate no-contact as a response to abuse and estrangement driven by narcissism, atomization, and hypervigilance, arguing that many who cut family ties for
Lecturer applies Baudrillard’s spectacle theory to pathological narcissism, arguing that in postmodern hyper-simulation identities are performative and constructed from the sign-value of possessions and curated images. Narcissism acts as a
The speaker explains that pathological narcissists constantly wear a ‘mask’ (persona) — presenting a polished, normal exterior while harboring inner chaos and vulnerability. Their social world is inverted: strangers are
The speaker argued that pathological narcissism functions like a distributed, secular religion built on shared fantasies that organize and explain social life, with leaders imposing narratives to convert and control
The speaker discussed narcissistic traits as described in the Bible, emphasizing its detailed characterization predates modern diagnostic manuals like the DSM and ICD. They highlighted the diagnostic criteria from the
The video discussed the role of malicious envy as a central characteristic of covert narcissism, highlighting its connection to sadism through the desire to exert power and control over others.
In this video, Sam Vaknin discussed the concept of “violent innocence,” a psychological defense mechanism common in narcissists, where individuals cause harm while denying responsibility and insisting on their moral
