Quote: (03-25-2017 03:22 PM)kiwi12 Wrote:
Great thread.
I have relative who I suspect is gamma, but he also has Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).
Maybe its the same thing? Or they just overlap?
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Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
In order for a person to be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) they must meet five or more of the following symptoms:
- Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
- Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
- Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
- Requires excessive admiration
- Has a very strong sense of entitlement, e.g., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
- Is exploitative of others, e.g., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
- Lacks empathy, e.g., is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
- Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
- Regularly shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
AnonymousBosch what's your take on this?
All of those symptoms apply to the Gamma, but they manifest in a subtly different manner, and the internal mechanism's different.
The Narcissist is a pit of rage and self-loathing, who covers it up with a shell personality. The shell is charismatic and outgoing, and in no way held back by objective reality. They constantly talk about their plans and their successes, while ignoring their flaws, and in the short-term they can be wildly successful. Their grandiose vision will tend to attract accomplished individuals, and so long as things are going well they'll be able to maintain the illusion that they're a real person.
Then something happens which 'exposes' the truth about them; it shatters their shell, and all of the narcissistic rage comes pouring out onto whomever is closest. Other people don't really exist for the Narcissist; they're nothing but mirrors, either reflecting the illusion, or the true inner core.
Like all Type IIs, it's hard to say if the Narcissist actually exists as a person, or if they're just a zombie, nothing more than brain chemicals and learned behaviours. You will never see a soul in a narcissist; the closest you can get is their rage as they attempt to murder you. The Gamma, on the other hand, is definitely a person; just a nasty, hell-bound person.
The Gamma is the opposite of depressive realism. They're utterly miserable, but they'll never admit it. They lumber about, rationalizing their failures into successes. Couldn't get laid at the bar? That's because the woman suffered false consciousness, and pursued an abusive asshole. Failure as an artist? That's because he's too avante guard. While the Narcissist will lash out in rage upon being exposed, it's a blind rage; other people don't really exist in their mind, and they'll lash out at whomever is most convenient. The Gamma, meanwhile, will target a single person.
The Narcissist's shell cracks because of an undeniable failure that they can't lie their way around. The Gamma cracks when intimacy proves his own delusions false. Typically this happens when a well meaning friend offers good advice. An insult or a criticism will only be used as evidence to prove his rationalizations; good advice cuts to his core and exposes him
to himself as the failure that he is.
The Narcissist is worried about others seeing him for what he is; the Gamma is terrified of seeing himself. And where the Narcissist will lash out randomly, the Gamma will now focus on, and obsess over the person who forced him to admit that he was a failure.
This core of irrationality - this need to preserve the false self-image - is what makes Gammas so dangerous and impossible to negotiate with.
Negotiations boil down to "Do this, get a carrot, do this, get the stick." The Gamma - because he refuses to admit that he could ever be second place at anything - will refuse to acknowledge the existence of the stick. Pull a shotgun on him, and say "Get off my lawn!" and he will feel compelled to prove that the shotgun doesn't really exist, that it isn't truly a threat to the Secret King. He will start advancing on you to prove this to himself.
I'm going to have to think about this a bit more, but I think the carrot is the better strategy to use. Promise the Gamma some paltry bit of ego validation and he'll do whatever you say; make a threat and he'll go out of his way to force your hand.
Great thread by the way; so long as Gammas are at a distance they're hilarious.