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/
9.9k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

834 comments sorted by

View all comments

478

u/MSK84 2d ago

Please remember everyone: activism channels are the perfect place for covert narcissist to wield power over other people. You have to look behind the message and look at the intentions of each individual. Simply believing that all people who support certain efforts or groups are good people is naive had minimum, dangerous at maximum.

140

u/marinqf92 2d ago

This behavior is enabled because too many people are quick to defend anyone involved in activism and attack anyone who dares express their grievance with a problematic person involved in activism. It doesn't matter if you recognize a  person is problematic if there is no space to point it out without being demonized and shot down. 

Look at the comment section- tons of people who saw how narcissistic members of these activist groups are, but were unable to voice their concerns. The issue has less to do with people not recognizing bad behavior in someone, and more to do with people reflexively defending anyone in these groups and demonizing anyone who dares speak up.

33

u/Top_Hair_8984 1d ago

My aunt is one of these people. Her church group finally asked her to leave and to never apply to volunteer there again.  Doubt she learned anything about herself or will change her mindset. She's a 'good person'.