Forces fueling the rise of narcissism
Why does narcissistic behavior seem more rampant than ever? Cultural hierarchies, social media-fueled comparisons, and a world that rewards shameless entitlement have combined to embolden narcissists and normalize abuse. These forces don’t just create more narcissists—they keep cycles of manipulation and gaslighting alive across generations. Understanding this cultural engine of narcissism is key to protecting yourself and breaking free.
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DISCLAIMER: THIS INFORMATION IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR CLINICAL CARE. PLEASE CONSULT A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR GUIDANCE SPECIFIC TO YOUR CASE. THIS VIDEO DISCUSSES NARCISSISM IN GENERAL.
THE VIDEO DOES NOT REFER TO ANY SPECIFIC PERSON, AND SHOULD NOT BE USED TO REFER TO ANY SPECIFIC PERSON, AS HAVING NARCISSISM. PERMISSION IS NOT GRANTED TO LINK TO OR REPOST THIS VIDEO, ESPECIALLY TO SUPPORT AN ALLEGATION THAT THE MAKERS OF THIS VIDEO BELIEVE, OR SUPPORT A CLAIM, THAT A SPECIFIC PERSON IS A NARCISSIST. THAT WOULD BE AN UNAUTHORIZED MISUSE OF THE VIDEO AND THE INFORMATION FEATURED IN IT.
Thank you so much ❤
Thank you 😊 💯🙌
People who are selfish and self-absorbed get ahead because they only have to worry about themselves. No empathy for others makes life easier in some ways, but hollow and pointless in the end..
How it is hallow and pointless if they are ahead narcissist are actually really really successful
@@Chelloavalosdabaddest I guess it depends on how you define success. For me, it means helping/accepting others rather than tearing them down to get what I want. I am not materially successful, but I feel grateful that I have the impulse to make others’ lives easier/better whenever possible.
@@TriciaSamstrue ❤
The world really does seem to value and reward people who are loud and hard, over those who are quiet and soft. Society looks at loudness as strength and confidence, hence why they get all the attention, while the quiet ones like myself are looked at as weak and boring, and I often get overlooked. But I still keep showing up, even if no one notices. I’m not the type to be loud to get attention. I’m here to be real.
I agree and I feel it’s unfair, especially if the quiet/introvert people are more likely to take the job more seriously. For instance, I would like to be a somewhat successful portrait photographer but I hear that to really get clients, you may need to be really fun, extroverted and passionate to work with. The quality of the photos come second, even though to me it should be what comes first as a photographer. But I have to accept it and try to show I am good to work with and that me and the client come together to create something we both agree with and enjoy ourselves doing it. And yet, it’s mainly introverts that are drawn to photography and take it seriously.
This is a major factor society reward plus disruptive rude behaviour and I those who are polite and quiet are rejected and bullied it’s weird and disturbing one of the many manifestations or narcissism
I have been thinking lately about how American society always encourages and rewards narcissism 🤔
Yes, often marketed as confident, innovative, self-assured, visionary.
I am a Black South African, and I sometimes wish that these conditions could be examined with race in mind. I truly believe there is a difference in the way narcissism shows up among Black men versus white men, at least in my experience. Narcissism in Black culture often feels unspoken, partly because, by design, as Black people we must adapt a certain grandiose self to survive in a white world—especially one that deems you inferior from birth. However, this narcissism can grow into something quite alarming.
I have observed high levels of narcissism among many men in my community, which definitely has a link to race. I feel sad because there is so much I could say on the subject, but we are still limited in how openly we can discuss this, and maybe it’s controversial. I think there is a whole range of subcategories in how mental disorders appear across different cultures, and race plays a role as well. Just my two cents—I don’t want the comment to be too long.
I’m still watching, and honestly, it’s refreshing to hear narcissism and culture being discussed.
Everything youre saying is sound and not controversial at all imo. As a person of color ive seen the same thing play out
thank u for that.
Well said
I’ve noticed that too here in the US.
Fascinating observations. You could maybe write about this. On Substack perhaps?
Love your honesty Dr Ramini.
Not clear when searching whether misogyny, sexism, dissmissive avoidant attachments and the like are narcissism or something other.
“i like autumn as much as the next person, but i like the fall of the patriarchy the most.”
Women are narcs too.
I was watchimg true crime on Crime+Investigation and I knew that voice, narraror name Ramani D pops in screen! Ahmazing ❤
I’ve been screaming for a while now that society has ACTIVELY encouraged us to raise and be narcissistic. Image obsessed, money is king, never show weakness (emotion), use people to get power, never admit fault….it’s no surprise that Narcissism is the new epidemic.
Not to be That Historian but you have just described why the French Revolution happened.
The first and second estates (first being the Church (Catholicism) and the second the Nobility) behaved the way you’ve described. The Nobility acted as such _because_ of the fact that A) they felt [their version of] God was supporting them, and B) the Church was, well, the Catholic Church in France; so we’re talking just buckets of money and gold decorated places of worship.
Also, since two of the estates held the money, power, and ability to make money (decrees and such from the Nobility) the Third Estate was comprised of literally everyone else. You could be a peasant, a successful merchant, a doctor, a castle/mansion guard, a high ranking military member (nobility held many/most high ranks in the military, but more as show, iirc) a lawyer, etc. skilled or unskilled everyone who didn’t have blood ties or wasn’t the Clergy was lumped together and promptly taxed by both the church and the “state”/nobility.
And when you have _everyone_ of all levels of education, of cleverness, streewise and book smart, smushed together with a boot on their neck by narcissists raised to continue that cycle… eventually it reaches a boiling point.
So that will be interesting to live through, on a global level.
Yup!
I have been screaming about it as well ,, especially about looks, appearance and money it’s so toxic
I totally agree with your assessment about the apparent increase in narcs. I grew up in the 50’s and lived in a modest neighborhood. If I got a new doll and went to each neighbor and said look at my new doll, they would probably smile, pat me on the head and say that’s nice. If the next day my parents gave me a new outfit for the doll and I repeated going to each neighbor again, they might still smile etc. You get the point. If I continued to do this with new things at some point two things would happen 1) I suspect my neighbors would stop answering the door and 2) if my parents found out what I did there would be hell to pay. They would say something along the lines of “Don’t rub it in other people’s faces, maybe they could not afford to buy these things for their kids.” Now people shamelessly brag not only using social media but by strutting around showing it off, be it possessions or bodies. I suspect this does not increase the numbers of narcs but triggers them and makes them more likely to become more obvious and increases the number and intensities of narcissistic rages. I my opinion the situation is further complicated by modern “Christianity” where people have come to believe God wants them to be happy and have everything their heart’s desire and have no qualms about telling everyone what “God” has done for them. That “Carry you cross” has pretty much gone out the window. Just my opinion……
I am a Christian and I have noticed my dad will often share some of his life story of how he became a Christian and what God has done for him during his young adult years to complete strangers such as those doing home repairs or others he just met or barely knows. Often times it’s people who should be focused on doing their job who don’t really have time to talk. And sometimes to me it looks more like bragging and I feel he’s talking about his story too soon. On one hand, yeah I believe we should be sharing the gospel and what God did for us, but I also get the impression my dad wants to just talk and not really get to know those he’s talking to. To me, sharing what Jesus did for them should come a little later, maybe when you’re friends with these people for a while or better connect with them. Sometimes I get the sense my dad is making these people uncomfortable or possibly annoyed and not really trying to connect or relate to those he’s talking to.
I have also noticed that even though my parents are extremely abusive and narcissistic they still have managed to maintain friendships of over 40 years ,,this days I can barely get a friend or even someone to care about my wellbeing I feel extremely isolated and lonely I just wish I had a community around me
@@Dj.D25 My traditional Catholic church upbringing (I was prior to VC II) saved my life. It gave me structure and guard rails. After “fight night” (which was usually on Sat) I would go to the mass. No one was looking at me, everyone came in quietly, genuflected and got on their knees to pray. I would look at the statues of the saints and stations of the cross, the crucifix and Tabernacle, see the priest reverently saying the mass (facing the direction that Christ is supposed to return from ) or hear the angelic choir. It made me believe there was a God as this was, as far as I was concerned, as close to heaven as I could get during this lifetime. It gave me hope for something greater then myself, purpose and prevented me doing myself in which I thought about a lot as I believed I would go to hell if I did. I did not blame God or ask him why. There was no help for me (I was dismissed by both my immediate and extended family). No one understood abuse or trauma back then (Don’t tell lies, Mary Ellen, don’t tell anyone what goes on in this house.) Now all that is left for me to do today is pray my rosary and have faith in what I was taught back then. (I am too old to travel the distance for the TLM).
India is all about patriarchy and the whole family thing is very suffocating. Fathers hold the key for everything…money, education, partner selection. Very toxic. Had lived through that.
“bully those with less power” Well, that’s the cast system. horrible people to work for.
Definitely our Indian/Pakistani cultures foster patriarchies where such behaviour is a norm, unfortunately.
Generational trauma and tolerance for narcissism is so common that it’s nearly impossible to explain your abuse to even your family! They’ll call you crazy. 🙄🙄
I’m a white converted Hindu. I date only Indian men because I refuse to argue about god. I e come across many narcissistic Indian men and I mean a few severe ones, communal as well when they want to be gurus. Want not are. But I’ve found a few gems that are incredibly balanced Indian men and I’m so grateful to have found them. I’ve also noticed narcissistic Indian women but I never feel like I’m missing out by their behavior. But I have felt deeply saddened when the men are probably because I’m looking to marry. But it would be nice if Indian women were nicer to white women and more inclusive.
This video resonates with my observations of life in “modern” America, including the household in which I was raised. Until narcissism is studied in America, starting at least in middle school, so that we are ALL aware of its profound hostility, we’ll keep falling for the seductive love-bombing of narcs as spouses and leaders. Dictators small and large reduce individuals and nations to suffocated backwaters. Sadly in the U.S., since we haven’t ever endured the narcissism bred by monarchy, we still naively romanticize “better-than:” we treat our celebrities like royalty. And we STILL believe that uber-wealth makes someone exceptional, “royal” somehow. Exceptionally addicted to money? I’d say YES. An exceptionally valuable person? NOPE, not until they channel that wealth towards making the world better for all.
I do think awareness of narcissism is growing. Celebrity worship also appears to be less popular lately, which you can see by how less viewership there has been for award ceremonies the past several years and also how there hasn’t been as many hyped up movies as there used to be just because a celebrity is in it.
Narcissism awareness has been growing since 2014 and it has saved our lives from stress, pain,horror and narcissistic abuse I remember how I had sever brain fog and emotional dysregulation from the abuse and trauma it’s extremely difficult to overcome before you knew you were dealing with narcissistic abuse in the family
Well said thank you for sharing
Some of us don’t share stories of narcissistic abuse because our abuser is still alive, tracking us, and looking for any excuse to hurt us, usually to sue us for character defamation. That’s why I stay anonymous online. Decades after the divorce, he’s STILL trying to hurt me. I’ve also learned to vet “friends” slowly and carefully before I give them any details of what I’ve been through, to avoid the ice-cold judgement you describe.
This video hit like a happy meal, even comes with a prize! So good bringing in larger systems at play and how survivors get caught up and traverse in it. Love your calling out enablers and their songs. ❤
I needed this today. Thank you for this knowledge you have given me. It is so helpful.
Dr. Ramani, your videos helped me to cut off ties entirely with my narcissistic ex. You saved my mental health in so many ways. Thank you so much!
It’s wild how we’re taught to spot narcissists but rarely shown why this culture keeps creating them. This video pulled back the curtain, showing how a world obsessed with surface, likes, and status quietly feeds entitlement and erodes empathy. What struck me most was realizing it’s not just about “them” it’s about the systems we keep alive unless we choose different. Youth Protocol by Dr Tessa Voss helped me understand the power of quietly rejecting the noise, returning to depth, and choosing humanity in a culture that rewards the opposite. If you’ve ever felt like you’re swimming against a tide of ego and manipulation, this will help you see it’s not your fault and you can step out of it.