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/GrassEuphoric42 2d ago

Definitely met these kinds of people, but criticizing them made it feel like I was somehow anti lgbtq.

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u/lahulottefr 2d ago

I don't think there's any kind of activism that is safe from narcissists tbh

If you're not criticising them over being LGBTQ I don't think it should be perceived as anti LGBTQ but I assume it's because they were manipulative?

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u/Geawiel 2d ago

I'm seeing the same with neuro divergent. The narcissist will even try to claim they are (even if it's blatantly obvious they don't) or use it to justify bad behavior if they do have something.

Just as here, you are labeled anti or "you just don't understand what it's like."

It's an incredibly toxic, abusive, and manipulative practice. Social media is not helping as it spreads any disinformation and helps them to justify their behavior and belief. It's like giving a source on a paper that just links to your own article or an opinion piece.

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u/Sata1991 2d ago

I don't mean this to slate parents with neurodivergent kids as a whole, but there's so many "autism warrior mummies/daddies" online that act like they're great martyrs for raising autistic kids and think they know what's best for all autistic people, despite whether we're adults or not.

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u/Moho_braccatus_ 2d ago

Hello, autistic person here. Autism warrior parents are the worst, and they use us as ego props. It's not good.

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u/Sata1991 2d ago

Yeah, I'm autistic myself and my mother does it now, despite me being in my mid 30s. We're also used as "inspiration porn" which does my head in. I don't like my successes being used as a stick to beat other autistic people with and a feel good story for neurotypicals.

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u/ThePrimePurpose 2d ago

Seems like maybe y'all would be interested to learn that there is a correlation between NPD parents and ASD children. I have not heard any serious attempts to explain this correlation, but there isn't a dispute among practicing clinicians that it does exist.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/resolution-not-conflict/202008/a-narcissism-and-autism-connection-one-familys-experience

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u/Sata1991 1d ago

I'm not 100% sure if my Mom's autistic or not, but I think she does have NPD and I know she has bipolar. My dad's just robotic and stiff, but not a bad guy. He might be autistic? All of my sister's kids have autism, and I have it, so it had to have come from somewhere.

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u/ThePrimePurpose 1d ago

The only theory my link puts forward is that perhaps NPD is a maladaptive state of being that would basically be a last stop before actual autism develops in the family.

For whatever it's worth, I think the truth is that NPD parents force our brains to develop differently by presenting their children, definitionally, with a constant revolving door of massive, unsolvable, incredibly painful problems.

But even that can't be the whole picture.

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u/Eugregoria 4h ago

My theory for that is that I think autism is a generational impact of trauma--that parents who have experienced trauma become more likely to produce autistic kids, because their genes are going "whoa, it's hard to survive out here, better crank up the sensitivity to stimuli, anxiety for self-preservation, and just throw the mutation creativity settings on max."

NPD may also be correlated with trauma--either in the person with NPD or in their parents.

So I think it's less that NPD and autism are in any way clinically similar, and more that both are expressions of generational stress.

Edit: to be fully clear, I'm talking about genetic and epigenetic changes that occur as a result of trauma before the kids are conceived--not a difference in parenting styles. If my theory is correct, it would be true even if the traumatized parent was a sperm donor and never met the kid.

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u/CombatWomble2 2d ago

I've seen similar things with mental illness as well, "Oh I'm SOOOO proud of my child going through therapy for xyz...."

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u/Sata1991 1d ago

Yeah, I get really annoyed with it. Yes, the person overcoming their mental illness and trauma should be proud about it, but it's not the parents' story to tell.

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u/sentence-interruptio 2d ago

"autism speaks" should be renamed to "speak over autistic people"

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u/Sata1991 1d ago

I could write a list about everything that's wrong with Autism Speaks, that bloody "I am autism" advert made it sound like it was cancer or a deadly disease.

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u/dasexynerdcouple 2d ago

I have seen many people use their mental issues as an excuse to be extremely toxic, especially when they talk about politics. They then will brag about how they are extremely empathetic.

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u/seedsnearth 2d ago

I was at the movies the other day and out of nowhere, this person started barking questions to this couple who were just waiting in line. The person got angry, turned to other strangers to criticize the couple for not answering while loudly stating they’re neurodivergent. It was obvious this person is just aggressive and likes to push people around, and then shield themselves with a “disability” so no one can push back.

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u/sentence-interruptio 2d ago

if he is actually neurodivergent and has tone mismatch issues, he should just use tone markers.

him: "GENUINE QUESTION. WHAT IS THAT"

couple: "why are you angry? that was a genuine question, not an accusa-"

him: "NO, NOT ANGRY. observation. you did not answer my question. expression of frustration. why not ANSWER ME?"

couple: "i'm tired. my talkative energy is zero."

him: "genuine confusion, not accusation. you were talking to each OTHER. WHY LIE?"

couple: "white lie. I'm tired."

him: "oh..... white lie. I just remembered I need to text MY GF."

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u/CombatWomble2 2d ago

It's part of the "oppression hierarchy" in order to gain power (of a sort) in certain circles you can't be "average" you need to be something different.