Can Narcissists Be Constructive, Positive, Productive?

Elon Musk’s biography: shocking that Isaacson hasn’t consulted a diagnostician. Musk strikes me as an overt sadistic narcissist, not so much an autist, as he self-diagnoses (self-diagnosis and a staunch refusal to attend therapy are, in themselves, markers of grandiosity).

Musk regards himself in Messianic terms, as a savior of humanity, charting the course to a problem-free multiplanetary future. Problem-free because he is out to solve all of humanity’s predicaments.

But this grandiose fantasy is coupled with real accomplishments. Musk is driven, detail oriented, knowledgeable, daring, and visionary.

So, can high-functioning narcissists be productive, constructive, and positive?

Is narcissism the next evolutionary stage? Are narcissists Nietzsche’s superman?

The neo-Lamarckian theory that epigenetic changes are later consolidated at gene level (with no changes in the DNA)

Misconstrual of concept of positive adaptation.

Narcissism found universally, so it is not a reaction to stressors in specific environments.

Misperception that evolution is linear and error-free.

Narcissism could be an evolutionary experiment that failed, like so many mutations.

But what may be detrimental to an individual may be beneficial in the long run or on the level of the species.

Alleged advantages of narcissism:

Charismatic, self-confident leadership - superficial charm wears off

Vision and goal-focus owing to grandiosity and fantasy - often unrealistic goals that result in waste and self-defeat

Lack of empathy allows the narcissist to make tough decisions - narcissists misread the room and people and their decisions are usually inefficacious

Lack of access to positive emotions renders decision-making less clouded - inability to decipher emotions creates impaired reality testing and compensatory cognitive distortions (like blind person straining to hear)

Need for narcissistic supply renders narcissist prosocial and communal - only if it self-enhances and for as long as it does. The minute there is a collapse or mortification, the narcissist turns destructive, punitive, and vengeful.

Narcissists are fools. They can learn only from their own experiences and mistakes and the majority of them never learn because they consider themselves omniscient.

The opposite of stupidity is not intelligence: it is wisdom.

Often extremely intelligent people are also inordinately dumb.

Remember the IDIOT in idiot savant.

It never ends well, never mind how long the illusory facade is maintained, it always ends in a devastated and dangerous wasteland.

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