Free Republic

Why is there so much self-promotion in our society, self-inflating behavior at the expense of others? Data suggests “narcissism,” the outsized need for admiration, blind conceit, and lack of empathy is rising. Why? With what effect on society? These questions – why and with what effect on society– are important for understanding the world in which we live and assessing the drift of society. Unpacking the complicated drift of society toward unrepentant, unapologetic, often unaware self-aggrandizement is tough, but several facts pop off the page. First, social media – self-tailored, instant, one-to-many communications – have grabbed society faster than any...

...few have described wokeism as the cruel creed that it is.Wokeism’s natural logic is to destroy the lives of people of both genders, of all races, and—if need be—those of every age, all to leverage an otherwise unworkable ideological agenda. It is nihilist and destroys everything it touches. It tears apart foes and friends alike, whether by fueling media-driven hatred of Donald Trump or faux-deification of the disaster that is now Joe Biden.

Almost a century ago, the psychologist Jean Piaget defined the stages of cognitive development. Up until about age 2, children learn about cause and effect through their actions. For the next five years, they learn through pretend play but struggle with logic. By middle school, they're in the "concrete operational stage." Their thinking is more logical but still rigid. Then around age 12, children enter the "formal operational stage," becoming capable of theoretical and abstract reasoning. This progression isn't just about acquiring knowledge; it's about a change in the very nature of how we think. Madeline Levine, a psychologist and...

Playing a role in the sudden rise of transgender children may be "transhausen by proxy," a term coined for narcissistic parents who push so-called "gender transitioning" on their children, some experts say. Celebrities are increasingly in the limelight with announcements about their children who come out as transgender or nonbinary. Nonbinary individuals identify as neither male nor female. "Transhausen by proxy" isn't an officially recognized psychological condition. It's a play on an official condition known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP). MSBP is a mental illness that's also sometimes called medical child abuse or factitious disorder imposed on others. It's...

A recent CIA recruitment video valorized the Cluster B traits of narcissistic identity obsession, self-righteousness, and craving for affirmation. “I am a woman of color. I am a mom. I am a cisgender millennial who has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder,” intones the featured CIA analyst as the camera pans over her diversity awards. “I used to struggle with impostor syndrome, but at 36, I refuse to internalize misguided, patriarchal ideas of what a woman can or should be.”In a Cluster B society, psychological disorders are job qualifications rather than problems to be solved; ideology replaces competence as a...

Minnesota TikTok comedian Joe Muchlinski — who went by @VonViddy on the platform — has reportedly died by suicide at the age of 32. His sister, Martha Muchlinski, revealed his passing in a video posted to her TikTok page on Monday. “I do want to confirm for his fans that he did lose his long battle with mental illness, and he did take his own life,” she announced in the somber clip. “Joe fought a long and really terrible battle with his mental illness and all we can hope now is that he is at peace.” The bereaved sibling added...

Some conservatives argue American leftists always seem to need a boogeyman. When left-wing political activists are not demonizing MAGA Republicans, they’re aiming to marginalize patriotic Christ-followers by labeling them as “Christian nationalists.” So, what exactly is a “Christian nationalist”? These days it seems to only be a pejorative term leveled against conservatives by the establishment news media. Culture and religion analyst Alex McFarland of Alex McFarland Ministries spoke to CBN News for the “Set It Straight” segment of our weekly program, “The Global Lane”.

“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. Yet his shadow still looms. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives; who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves?” Friedrich NietzscheIn the wake of the ‘murder’ of Jesus Christ, second Person of the Holy Trinity, an anarchy of narcissism and depravity has overtaken our godless woke society. Posing as legal, political, special rights, superior expert opinion, and...

Dr Jordan Peterson discusses how to win the culture war, with insights from Soviet and Nazi dissidents who stood up against tyranny and compares their struggles with clampdowns on free speech today. He sits down with The Telegraph’s Steven Edginton in a wide-ranging discussion from why Britain was a miracle for the world to if he is addicted to Twitter: On the culture wars: “The right lacks vision. They play a rearguard game. They don't have a compelling story to tell young people. And because they're conscientious, conservatives are conscientious, it's easy to hoist them on the petard of guilt....

The Bible clearly tells us that among God’s people there are wolves that wear sheep’s clothing (Jeremiah 23:14; Titus 1:10; Revelations 2:2). It’s true that every human heart is inclined toward sin (Romans 3:23), and that includes evil (Genesis 8:21; James 1:4). We all miss God’ mark of moral perfection. However, most ordinary sinners do not happily indulge evil urges, nor do we feel good about having them. We feel ashamed and guilty, rightly so (Romans 7:19–21). These things are not true of the evil heart.Below are five indicators that you may be dealing with an evil heart rather than...

Technocracy’s prime directive in the 1930s was to master the “Science of Social Engineering”. Without ethical restraints, Pandora’s Box was opened with “anything goes” in the name of technocratic progress. Gaslighting becomes a primary tool in the propagandist’s toolbox when other propaganda techniques become ineffective. The danger with a gaslit population? Don’t light a match.

Abstract In two pre-registered studies, we investigated the relationship of left-wing authoritarianism with the ego-focused trait of narcissism. Based on existing research, we expected individuals with higher levels of left-wing authoritarianism to also report higher levels of narcissism. Further, as individuals with leftist political attitudes can be assumed to be striving for social equality, we expected left-wing authoritarianism to also be positively related to prosocial traits, but narcissism to remain a significant predictor of left-wing authoritarianism above and beyond those prosocial dispositions. We investigated our hypotheses in two studies using cross-sectional correlational designs. Two nearly representative US samples (Study 1:...

We had just noted in a post yesterday about how you never hear the term “far-left” — from Democrats to the media … even from Republicans. The media’s focus is always on the “far-right wing,” or the “ultra-MAGA conservatives.” The Atlantic just informed us that Twitter is now a “far-right social network.” AOC has said we need to protect Drag Queen Story Hour from the “far-right,” while no one said a word about the far-left militia members who brought AR-15s to protect an “all-ages” drag brunch in Texas. A new study has been published about left-wing extremism, and it links...

A team of psychologists has discovered, via experimentation, a clever, new way to detect narcissism in a person. People with a narcissistic personality see the world as an extension of themselves and regard the needs of others as less important. Narcissists tend to be stubborn and envious and behave in ways that suggest they feel entitled to whatever they desire. Psychologists have also found that such traits can make a person uncomfortable to be around and that others tend to respond negatively to such behavior. They also note that narcissistic traits can be problematic for relationships, and for that reason,...

While millions of Americans were busy celebrating Mom on Sunday, taking her out to dinner and showering her with flower bouquets and macaroni picture frames, at least one person over on social media was lamenting the fact that he – she? It? – was left feeling rather unspecial. Because after all, when it comes to the trans community, it is all about making them feel included, even to the point of inconveniencing or outright excluding everyone else. “There’s two different days in the year that I question,” a biological man with green hair and a baritone voice says in a...

"...there is a small U.S. military presence at the embassy in conjunction with the Defense Attachés office to help us work on accountability of the material that is going in and out of Ukraine," Kirby said, referencing the weapons and other support the U.S. has been sending to Kyiv. "So they're attached to that embassy and to that the defense attache." Kirby...added that those troops "are not fighting on the battlefield." In addition, Fox News is told that the U.S. forces in Kyiv also provide security services.

"It is apparent that Mr. Teixeira is a whistleblower exposing the corruption of the Biden Administration," MTG wrote. "From day one, Joe Biden has lied to the American people about the war in Ukraine." Following the arrest of alleged Pentagon classified documents leaker Jack Teixeira, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding to know the extent of the United States' involvement on the ground in Ukraine. The leaked documents stated that United States special operations soldiers are on the ground in Ukraine, despite the belief that the US was only funding Ukraine’s operation...

During the course of the 20th century socialist and communist regimes brutally murdered somewhere between 160,000,000-200,000,000 men, women, and children in their maddened attempts at building the ideal society free from evil, especially the ‘evils’ caused by Jehovah God, Original Sin, monogamous marriage, the two created sexes, and ethical restraints and cultural taboos. As with the “God is dead” philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, they had stopped looking to heaven for their hopes and rewards, and declaring themselves “good” had become the very essence and face of evil.

She's overbearing. He's oversharing.Love bombed by a pro narcissist, young prince Harry's low boundaries and empathic heart blinds him to the barbed hook in a dress and lets the devil herself strut through the front door.We join the story in progress...The kids, they might be his.She had the kids at 40, because she needed the prop. His royal family have pulled the shades.Her plan to leave him with the kids and the money going swimmingly.Get him to admit abuse in writing and on TV - CHECK Get him to taunt terrorists and put the kids in danger - CHECK Get...

Today is officially Dr. Anthony Fauci’s last day as the federal government’s highest-paid employee. Then it’ll be off to what is no doubt a cushy pension and possibly some other high-paying gigs with media outlets or perhaps a seat on the board of a Big Pharma company. Fauci’s retirement means there will be an extra helping of adoring media profiles, and the New York Times’ offering is now out: Saturday is Anthony Fauci's last day as a federal employee. The New York Times spoke to him at his home office in Washington about his career and plans for the future....