In this episode of The Personality Couch Podcast, we (licensed clinical psychologists Doc Bok and Doc Fish) delve into the complex and dark characteristics of malignant narcissism, exploring its origins, characteristics, and using examples from popular culture, particularly the film 'American Psycho'. Citing Eric Fromm’s original work on defining evil, we discuss his triad of: necrophilious orientation, incestuous symbiosis, and malignant narcissism. Using connections to historical figures and Alfred Hitchcock's ‘Psycho,’ we briefly explore what this triad looks like. After drawing on research across the decades to define characteristics of malignant narcissism, we further discuss the spectrum of antisocial behavior, aggression, sadism, and paranoia prominent in these types. While discussing how malignant narcissists operate in personal relationships and positions of power, we end by exploring the overlap of malignant narcissism and psychopathy.

Chapters

00:41 History of Malignant Narcissism's Path to Evil

01:16 Fromm's Triad of Evil Overview

03:35 Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho Example

06:23 Early Research on Malignant Narcissism

09:24 The 4 Characteristics of Malignant Narcissism

09:43 Symptom 1: Narcissistic Core

12:36 Symptom 2: Antisocial Behavior

14:27 Malignant Narcissism vs Antisocial Personality Disorder

16:25 Symptom 3: Sadism or Aggression

21:58 Malignant Narcissism in Relationships

23:01 Symptom 4: Paranoia and Verge of Psychosis

25:02 Malignant Narcissism vs. Psychopathy

26:41 Where We Find Them and Why We Follow Them