RE: Anger and paranoia - traits displayed by some posters21 Apr 2025 01:17
Some further bedtime reading for those wanting to understand those who post vitriolic criticism on these bulletin boards.
And as narcissists do not behave by societal norms, it is rarely worthwhile trying to hold a reasonable and rational debate with a narcissist.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/narcissistic-projection.html
Narcissists, in particular, will project their own negative qualities, insecurities, or shortcomings onto someone else to protect their fragile self-esteem and maintain their grandiose sense of self.
Projection often occurs on a subconscious level, meaning that individuals might not be fully aware what they are doing. In fact, people engaging in projection may genuinely believe that the feelings they are attributing to others are actually originating from those individuals.
Just as a projector projects an image onto a surface, individuals projecting their emotions or traits onto others are, in a sense, projecting their inner experiences onto the external world.
There are two types of projection: complementary and attributive projection.
Complementary projection involves attributing qualities or characteristics to others that are seen as complementary or idealized versions of the self. Individuals may project positive traits or qualities onto others because they admire those qualities or wish they possessed them themselves.
Attributive projection, on the other hand, involves projecting one’s own undesirable or negative traits, feelings, or impulses onto others. This is the more commonly discussed form of projection, and the type of projection we are referring to when we discuss narcissistic projection.