How to Crush Collective Narcissism
Narcissism, at its core, is a disorder of self-obsession—an insatiable hunger for admiration paired with an inability to handle criticism. It thrives on delusions of grandeur, entitlement, and victimhood, twisting reality to fit its fragile sense of superiority. Collective narcissism is the shared delusion that a group is inherently superior, entitled, and victimized. It’s not just about belonging; it's about dominating, about rewriting the world to serve their fragile egos. It’s a defense mechanism that demands constant validation and reacts with hostility to any challenge.
As anyone who has been in a relationship with a narcissist will tell you, it is a horrific experience. So to be clear, referring to “collective narcissism” is not a metaphor - it is a diagnosis of the hell we are in right now in the form of MAGA and its leaders.
MAGA is the ultimate expression of collective narcissism—a movement fueled by grievance, self-righteousness, and an overwhelming fear of irrelevance. It’s not just about politics; it’s about identity, control, and the desperate need to cling to a version of reality that never existed. Here are the 3 A's of MAGA (especially their leaders).
Abusers. Power allows them to impose their cravings and delusions on others and silence dissent (ever notice how many MAGA leaders use NDAs?).
Alpha Bros. The movement is packed with insecure men masquerading as tough guys, desperate to prove their dominance through intimidation and empty bravado.
Arrogant. MAGA exudes an unearned sense of superiority, masking deep insecurity with loud, obnoxious chest-thumping, and relentless self-promotion.
Again, if you’ve ever had to deal with narcissists in your relationships, family, work, etc. you will recongize these traits.
“The narcissistic orientation is one in which one experiences as real only that which exists within oneself, while the phenomena in the outside world have no reality in themselves, but are experienced only from the viewpoint of their being useful or dangerous to one. The opposite pole to narcissism is objectivity; it is the faculty to see other people and things as they are, objectively, and to be able to separate this objective picture from a picture which is formed by one's desires and fears.”
― Erich Fromm
Everything a narcissist believes in is a lie.
The collective narcissism of MAGA is built on some of the biggest and most destructive lies ever told. It may be more gentle to say an illusion, but I'm fucking done being gentle. They’ve built their entire existence on bullshit, and I won’t pretend otherwise.
Their version of Christianity? A lie. A hollow, weaponized shell of what was meant to be a radical, love-driven movement. They hijack Jesus and twist him into a grotesque power grab. Their Jesus isn’t the one who stood with the outcasts, the poor, and the oppressed. Their Jesus is whitewashed, gun-toting, and obsessed with control. They worship a golden calf of nationalism draped in a flag, not the carpenter who flipped tables and preached humility. Their Christianity isn’t about grace; it’s about dominance, fear, and exclusion. And it’s a lie.
Their version of U.S. history? A lie. A bedtime story for people too afraid to face the truth. They cling to myths of American exceptionalism, whitewashing genocide, slavery, and systemic oppression. They pretend the Founding Fathers were demigods instead of flawed men, many of whom owned human beings and built a system that served the privileged few. They cherry-pick quotes about freedom while ignoring the brutal realities of imperialism, racism, and exploitation.
Their version of science? A lie. They don't just reject facts; they fucking wage war on them. Climate change? A hoax. Vaccines? A conspiracy. Evolution? Satanic propaganda. They prefer ignorance over reason, wrapping themselves in a cocoon of pseudoscience and half-baked YouTube theories. Real science demands humility and the willingness to be wrong—qualities they can't stomach. So they rewrite reality to fit their fragile egos and, in doing so, endanger us all.
Their version of America? A lie. The real America is messy, diverse, and constantly evolving. But their version? It’s a nostalgic hallucination—a 1950s sitcom with no room for reality. They cling to the fantasy of a white, straight, male-dominated paradise where progress is the enemy. They fear change because it threatens their fragile, bullshit illusion of superiority. The truth is, America was built by immigrants, queer people, women, people of color, the working class—all the groups they demonize.
Their views on immigration, queer people, women, people of color, the poor, and DEI? Lies. They paint immigrants as threats instead of the backbone of our economy and culture. They demonize queer people because diversity terrifies them. They try to control women because they fear empowered voices. They diminish people of color because admitting systemic racism would mean they aren’t the sole protagonists of history. And they blame the poor for their struggles because the truth—that the system is rigged—is too uncomfortable. Lies, all of it.
These core lies fuel everything: what they consume, what they say, their policies, how they interact with others.
What Doesn't Work
“Narcissists have a special skill for turning words around and using your vulnerability to their advantage. To prevent yourself from getting caught in their web of control, keep communication brief. Be concise, direct, and stick to the facts when communicating. This will assist you in staying on top of the discussion and not allowing them to gaslight or manipulate you”.
– Dana Arcuri
As I said, narcissists are liars. You don’t fight a liar by fact-checking or exposing their lies. They don’t care. They feed on attention and conflict. Think about it—when was the last time you had a conversation with a MAGA member where they said, "Oh, you might have a point there"? It doesn’t happen. They aren’t interested in discussion; they’re interested in domination. That's why these don't work:
Fact-checking. They don't care about facts; they care about validation. Correcting their lies only fuels their persecution complex and strengthens their delusions.
Appeasement. Trying to meet them halfway or "see their side" only emboldens them. They interpret compromise as weakness and use it to push their agenda further.
Outrage. They thrive on making others angry because it gives them attention and a sense of control. Getting riled up only plays into their hands.
Ignoring them completely. While disengagement can be strategic, complete silence allows their lies to spread unchallenged and gain legitimacy.
Assuming rationality. Expecting them to respond to logic and reason is a fool's errand. Their entire movement is based on emotional manipulation, not intellectual honesty.
Collective Intervention is the way forward.
Collective intervention is the antidote to collective narcissism. It is the deliberate, organized, and sustained effort to counter the spread of lies through consistent exposure and resistance. It means showing up, speaking out, and refusing to let their lies take up space in our collective consciousness. It requires standing firm in our values, even when it’s uncomfortable, and pushing back with clarity and conviction. Collective intervention isn't about a single voice or moment; it's about sustained, unified pressure that makes their falsehoods unsustainable.
Here are some sledgehammers you can use to smash their hall of mirrors:
Relentless exposure. Lies must be fucking called out—every time, everywhere. Silence is complicity. Call it out, make them uncomfortable, and don’t let them off the hook.
Strength in numbers. A unified, unwavering response leaves no room for retreat. The more people push back together, the harder it is for them to sustain their delusion.
Mockery and dismissal. Narcissists hate being laughed at and ignored more than anything. When their absurdity is met with ridicule instead of fear, it strips them of power.
Staying in the Fight
This fight isn’t about changing minds overnight. It’s about making their lies so exhausting and unsustainable that they collapse under their own weight. The fight isn’t just about truth—it’s about collective strength and unapologetic clarity.
This is a long, relentless fight, and it requires moral clarity, rock-solid boundaries, and a sharp sword. We can’t afford to hesitate, to second-guess, or to give them an inch. Stick together, stand firm, and refuse to let their bullshit seep into your convictions. They thrive on doubt and division, but we thrive on truth and unity.
When you're tired, remember why you started. When they push, push back harder. When they try to wear you down, lean on those beside you. The battle against collective narcissism isn’t won with a single strike—it’s won with relentless, unwavering resistance.
Truth alone isn’t enough. But truth, combined with relentless collective pressure and the unshakable will to see it through? That’s how we win.
Thank you for this wisdom 🙏🏻