Beware of people online who aggressively declare themselves “neurodivergent” and other popular self-diagnostics, including pseudo-pronouns, etc. on social media in order to display offence and anger at their imaginary enemies.
A narcissist who takes on the morally superior victim position is someone who portrays themselves as the victim in a situation, even when they are the ones at fault. They often blame others for their problems and use their supposed victimhood to manipulate and control others. They may also use this position to gain sympathy and support while avoiding taking responsibility for their actions. This type of behaviour is often associated with narcissistic personality disorder, a mental health condition characterised by an inflated sense of self-importance, a lack of empathy, and a need for admiration.
Here are a few examples of how a narcissist who takes on the morally superior victim position might behave:
- A co-worker constantly points out other people’s mistakes and uses them to deflect attention from their mistakes.
- A partner who always makes their partner feel guilty for their own mistakes but never takes accountability for their own actions.
- A family member who is constantly the centre of attention and bemoans their unfair treatment.
- A person who feels entitled to special treatment and privileges also acts like a victim when they don’t get what they want.
- A person who aggressively participates in online forums/social media and operates from a position that others have wronged them and gains support from strangers with their story but doesn’t take any responsibility for their own actions.
- A manager who always blames their team for a project failure and always takes credit for the success.
- A friend who always plays the victim card in social situations, causing their friends to constantly apologise for their own faults.
- A person who has a pattern of entering and exiting romantic relationships, always playing the victim of their partners’ supposed mistreatment.
- A person who constantly posts on social media about how they have been wronged by others but takes no responsibility for their own actions in the situations.
- A student who blames the teachers for their poor grades but never takes accountability for not studying or completing assignments.
Point 5 refers to a person who uses online forums or social media to present themselves as a victim. They might share stories of how they have been wronged by others and gain sympathy and support from strangers. They may even gain a following of people who feel sorry for them and support their “victim” status.
This type of behaviour can be particularly harmful because it allows the person to present a one-sided, biased account of events without any accountability or responsibility for their own actions. They may also feel emboldened by the support they receive online and use it as a way to continue engaging in manipulative or hurtful behaviour.
In addition, this kind of behaviour may also make it difficult for others to separate facts from fiction, and it can be hard to verify if their stories are true. The person in question could also be prone to exaggerating their victimhood, or they may be completely fabricating their stories.
It’s also important to note that the internet and social media can be platforms for people who are genuinely in need of support and understanding for what they have been through, but it’s also a platform for manipulation and exaggeration, which can be harmful to people who believe in their stories and try to help them.
Munchausen’s by Internet
Munchausen’s by Internet (also known as “virtual Munchausen” or “cyber Munchausen”) is a phenomenon in which an individual fabricates or exaggerates medical conditions online to gain attention, sympathy, or medical treatment. The term is derived from Munchausen syndrome, a psychological disorder in which an individual repeatedly and deliberately acts as if they have a physical or mental illness to gain attention and sympathy from others.
This behaviour can cause harm to real people, as some with this behaviour have been known to have been convincing enough for doctors to put other people under treatment for illnesses that do not exist or give treatments that are not required or even detrimental. This is a reminder to always verify the information and be critical of online content.
Some examples of Munchausen by Internet include:
- posting on online forums or social media about a serious illness or injury, and then seeking support and attention from other users.
- creating multiple online identities to claim to have multiple medical conditions, and then seeking support and attention from others under each identity.
- claiming to have a rare or serious illness, and then seeking donations or other forms of financial assistance.
- claiming to be the parent or caregiver of a child with a serious illness, and then seeking support and attention from others.
Munchausen’s disorder was first described by a German physician named Richard Asher in 1951. He named the disorder after Baron Münchhausen, an 18th-century German nobleman who was known for telling tall tales about his adventures.
Munchausen syndrome is a factitious disorder in which the individual acts as if they have a physical or mental illness, with the primary intent of being treated as a patient. This can include self-inflicted injuries, falsifying medical histories, and exaggerating symptoms, often to gain attention, sympathy, or medical treatments.
It’s important to note that the term “Munchausen syndrome” is no longer used in the medical community, as it is considered pejorative; instead, it’s called “Factitious disorder imposed on self”.
Dr Marc Feldman is a prominent psychiatrist and researcher who has studied and written extensively about factitious disorders, including Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen-by-Internet. Dr. Feldman is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Alabama and has been in practice for over 30 years. He is considered one of the leading experts in the field and is known for his work in developing the diagnostic criteria for Factitious Disorder imposed on self and has done research on the phenomenon of Munchausen by Internet. He has published multiple books and articles on the subject and has also been interviewed on news programmes, documentaries and other media outlets as an expert on this topic.
There have been several well-known cases of Munchausen’s by Internet over the years.
- One example is a woman named “Lori Drew” who, in 2008, posed as a teenage boy on MySpace to flirt with a young girl named Megan Meier, who later committed suicide. Drew was charged with three misdemeanours in the case.
- “Hope Ybarra” was another example, a woman who claimed to have had cancer, was able to fool many people and gained a lot of support and money in the process, but it was later discovered that it was all a lie.
