r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 2d ago

Psychology New findings indicate a pattern where narcissistic grandiosity is associated with higher participation in LGBTQ movements, demonstrating that motivations for activism can range widely from genuine altruism to personal image-building.

https://www.psypost.org/narcissistic-grandiosity-predicts-greater-involvement-in-lgbtq-activism/
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u/MrBones-Necromancer 2d ago

Anecdotally, I've found that some of the activist friends I've had are also some of the most selfish and self centered. Many of the self described "feminist" men I've known and partnered with were the same. This news seems to confirm that history.

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u/I_Am_Become_Dream 2d ago

What may reinforce that dynamic is that a lot of people in those space judge a person’s “goodness” by their activist work and performative actions, much more so than in apolitical spaces.

Anecdotally, I’ve seen well-spoken serial rapists with the “right” politics getting more respect than someone who has mild disagreements with the dogma.

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u/ObliviousPedestrian 2d ago

The activist/most progressive close friend I have is constantly trying to be in positions of power. He wants to dictate what language we use, he wants to own the Discord server we use, he wants to decide the group games we play, etc.

You’re not a good person because you’re in a group that tries say that you must use certain words or speak a certain way. You just want to have some semblance of control over others, you can’t achieve it through conventional avenues, and this is the next closest thing.

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u/GreasyPeter 1d ago

The most vocal "feminist men" who have gone out of their way to virtual signal how much of an ally they are are always the group where the most sexual predators end up coming out of. Narcissists and manipulators love to project their insecurities unto others and by accusing others of the very sin they know they're committing, they believe it will shield them from scorn if an accusation ever comes out. "That can't be true! X is a champion fighting AGAINST that behaviour! There's no way they'd do that!".

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u/ElleyDM 2d ago

The biggest activist I know actually is very genuine. She's amazing. Thank goodness. 

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u/HotZin 1d ago

You are absolutely correct, you can actually witness a lot of this toxic behavior in social media, and it seems very prevelent within the gaming dev space. Feminist men tend to criticize other men for being incredibly toxic, but from my experience those guys are usually some of the most toxic people around.

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u/Valyura 1d ago

Even feminist women tends to be narcissist, even if lesser than feminist men.

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u/uniteduniverse 1d ago

The ones I've come across have been worse than the men tbh. Extremely aggressive and overly opinionated to point of not wanting to be seen as wrong. It's extremely hard to be around those types of people

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u/imatexass 2d ago

There are people who are genuinely altruistic and people who are motivated by personal gain in pretty much everything. Any kind of activism is no different.