Can a Narcissist’s Deception be Harmful to Millions of People?
By: Christine Hammond, LMHC
Narcissists have the ability to charmingly convince people
anything they want to convey. Their manner of speech, intertwined with shallow
flattery and a flashy smile, is woven with truths, half-truths, and fiction.
While this might gain media attention for the pure entertainment value and seem
innocent, it does have the potential to cause harm on a large scale.
This is concept is clearly demonstrated in the movie Denial which was released in September
2016. This true-life docudrama portrays the struggles of an American Professor,
Deborah E. Lipstadt, as she defends herself in a British court case. Her book
on Holocaust deniers portrays people such as historian David Irving who made
false historical accusations that Hitler did not order the persecution and
execution of millions of Jewish people during World War II. David Irving filed
a law suit against Deborah Lipstadt and her publisher Penguin Books for
defamation of character.
The movie portrayed David Irving as a narcissist (this is not an official diagnosis of the
real person; rather it is an analysis of the character in the movie). For
those who are unclear as to just how a narcissist manipulates and deceives,
this movie describes it perfectly. The list of symptoms depicted includes:
·
Need to
be the center of attention: One of the opening scenes of the movie is
David Irving interrupting Deborah Lipstadt while she is giving a lecture at a
university about her new book. This grandstanding was then recorded by David
Irving to be used on his website as a demonstration of her unwillingness to
debate the facts of the Holocaust.
·
Desire
to be recognized as superior: The attorneys for Deborah
Lipstadt suspected that David Irving had this desire and used it against him.
In a pre-trial discussion before the Judge about whether or not to use a jury,
the attorneys suggested that twelve common people would not be able to
understand the intricacies of the case as clearly as the Judge. David Irving
agreed not to have a jury trial.
·
Lack of
empathy: In this case, the movie demonstrated all of the other
characters as capable of empathy except for David Irving. This was especially
true when several members of Deborah Lipstadt’s legal team visited the remains
of the concentration camp in Auschwitz.
·
Need
for excessive admiration: Throughout the movie, David Irving
dominated the media with his propaganda. At the advice of counsel, much to the
dismay of Deborah Lipstadt, she remained silent until after the case was decided.
The stark contrast only highlighted his showboating.
·
Automatic
compliance with expectations: (Movie spoiler alert!) In the end, David Irving loses his case but
that would not be apparent from his media interviews immediately following the
ruling. Instead he claims a victory and expects everyone around him to agree
with his stance and perspective.
·
Arrogance: Even
the physical appearance of David Irving in the movie portrays an arrogant
attitude through his puffed up chest, raised chin, and downward gaze at others.
When he speaks, it is clear he will only talk to those he believes are worthy
of his attention, not anyone else.
·
Takes
advantage of others: This is the most disgusting aspect of the
movie as it is evident that David Irving is blatantly taking advantage of the
Jewish people’s suffering to gain self-promoting notoriety as a denier. This
shameful display underscores the worst aspect of narcissism in the worst
possible manner.
So to answer the question posed in the title, yes, a
narcissist’s deception can be harmful to millions of people. It was for the
family, friends, and survivors of the Holocaust. The portrait of David Irving
in the movie Denial is such an
example of lying and maliciously deceptive behavior characterized by the
narcissist.
To schedule an
appointment with Christine Hammond, please call our office at 407-647-7005.
