Does Online Social Justice Create Narcissists?

Injustice, the oppression of the poor, religious corruption, and rampant idolatry were everywhere in Israel when Micah prophesied. After ranting for several chapters recorded in his short book, he finally broke into the well-known chorus of 6:8:

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Notice the balance--God would have us do justly and walk humbly. Sounds simple enough until we realize humans aren’t naturally humble. In fact, we’re all narcissists by nature, and some of us become diagnosable.

Multiple studies have shown how social media use predicts narcissism. Could popular social justice movements also be contributing to its rise? Observing some of the changes in my own faith community lately, I’ve seen a new form of narcissism that has caused me to conclude “yes.”

Narcissism 101

Let me back up. The word “narcissist,” like the words “abuse” and “toxic,” has been commonized and stretched, almost beyond meaning. People label anyone they don’t like “narcissist.” But the overuse of the word doesn’t invalidate the reality. The fact is that while all have a selfish nature, some fully qualify for the DSM diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or NPD.

Narcissists believe they’re better than everyone else. Boiled down, NPD’s have unreasonable and extreme levels of:

Grandiosity

Fantasies of success

Feelings of being exceptional

Need for admiration

Arrogance

Sense of entitlement

Exploitativeness

Empathy deficits

Envy

We imagine such people bragging about their good looks, possessions, intelligence, talent, accomplishments, status, and success. We see them taking endless selfies and with their duck lips or glossy biceps. And these descriptions fit many narcissists. But an NPD subtype presents a less-known, more subtle form of narcissism.

Communal Narcissism

It’s called communal narcissism. The communal narcissist diverges from the typical forms of superiority to indulge moral superiority. He doesn’t say, “I’m cool, gorgeous, brilliant, and rich,” but, “I’m morally and ethically superior.”

This kind of narcissism can get its hooks into Christians. Our sense of self is deeply attached to the Christian ideals of mercy, grace, service, kindness, and compassion. Dare I say we take pride in these things, and that the adversary exploits that pride to lead some of us into full-blown belief that we’re a righteous cut above everyone else.

Social media, where social justice enthusiasts announce their moral crusades, provides a delivery system for narcissistic supply. Egos soar as posts go viral. But few suspect anything amiss with a do-gooder. “He’s so passionate,” it is said, “She just has a heart for the underdog, and a strong sense of right and wrong.” It’s hard to see the arrogance lurking beneath expressions of empathy.

But research has been rolling out studies on this phenomenon, and behavioral scientists have taken notice. Listen to the abstract from one study:

Considering these results, we assume that some leftist political activists do not actually strive for social justice and equality but rather use political activism to endorse or exercise violence against others to satisfy their own ego-focused needs. Link

And another:

Individuals high on communal narcissism rate themselves high on traits such as altruism, benevolence and warmth towards others, but are extremely driven by the need to validate power. Their benevolent self-image does not characterize their objective communal behavior, and others often rate them low in actual communion. Link

In other words, communal narcissists don’t practice what they preach. They’re not really just or merciful in person. They project, but do not personify, goodness. Their self-worth is tied to being seen as caring, compassionate, and morally superior, but their virtue is performative. Their unconscious goal is not helping, but to be seen as helping, megalomania in a halo, drawing their narcissistic supply from a virtuous image, high on their own supply.

The worst fallout of all this is the harm to relationships. Communal narcissism in faith circles is the newest form of judgmentalism. Those who don’t share the view of a CN aren’t just wrong, they’re evil. The CN issues frequent, forceful demands for others to fall into step behind them. “If you _____,” they say, “you will be on the wrong side of history.”

It’s Me, Oh Lord

Now, let me admit something. Communal narcissism has come knocking on my door. I’ve been involved in justice work for many years, currently leading Project Safe Church, which is dedicated to sexual abuse prevention and response within the church community. I have received praise for facing situations involving abuse (and my share of censure, but that’s for another time). The ministry began formally when the #MeToo and #ChurchToo waves crested back around 2018. To be honest, there was pride in the air in those days, and social justice warriors breathed it deeply.

But I started to see smoke. Rushing to judgment without evidence. Fitting the facts to the narrative, rather than the narrative to the facts. Victim exploitation when appearing to help a person became more important than actually helping them. Judging people who didn’t align with the crusade. Public shaming of alleged perpetrators without proof. Unredemptive, unchristian discarding of wrongdoers. Although I resisted much of these imbalances, I didn’t do enough, and have tried to correct them moving forward.

I end with this confession because I don’t want to spout off about communal narcissism as if it’s only a danger for other people.

Nah.

It’s a danger for all of us who strive for justice.

It’s a danger for me.

I’m pretty much a social conservative—prolife, pro family, small government, law and order, individual rights and responsibilities, and so on. I admit that there is wrong-headed “wokeness” on both sides of the political spectrum. Pride isn’t a Democrat or Republican thing. It’s a human thing. And to walk humbly while doing justice, we need Jesus.

What is justification by faith? It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself. When men see their own nothingness, they are prepared to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. (Ellen White, Special Testimonies, A 9:62)