🧠 3. Them/Us Structures

Group narcissism thrives on binaries. Us = rational, responsible, deserving. Them = chaotic, dangerous, unwell. It makes the narcissistic group feel good by projecting failure onto outsiders. So:

• “We support neurodiversity!” (as long as it doesn’t interrupt meetings).

• “We value difference!” (as long as it speaks English and knows how to use email).

• “We care about mental health!” (as long as it doesn’t look like madness).

The Them/Us structure isn’t a bug. It’s the feature that keeps group narcissism intact. And if someone from “Them” crosses over to “Us”? Instant exceptionalism. They become a “success story,” a feel-good tale to reinforce the system’s benevolence. Not an indictment—just a flattering anecdote.

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🏛️ 4. Society at Large: Group Narcissism as National Operating System

Zoom out, and this narcissism animates the whole game:

• Nationalism: “We are the greatest country in the world.” Why? Because we say so. Group narcissism as patriotism.

• Ableism: “We are independent, productive citizens.” (Translation: we fear and punish dependency.)

• Capitalism: “We work hard, so we deserve more.” (And if you're poor, it’s a moral failing.)

Society needs its “Them”s—immigrants, addicts, the disabled, the homeless—not just to exclude, but to define what “Us” even means. Group narcissism is the mirror in which society loves itself while others are erased, pitied, or surveilled.

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Summary (AKA the bitter pill):

Group narcissism is what keeps the societal ego intact while it tramples the very people it claims to care about. It’s the ideology that makes exclusion feel like virtue, punishment feel like order, and dehumanization feel like maintenance.

This isn’t a glitch. It’s how the machine works.