Democracy and the Narcissist
One of democracy's advantages is also its curse. A democracy empowers and values the individual, thus allowing him the freedom to act on opportunities. If that individual is narcissistic, he is able to rationalize his self-indulging ways and take guiltless advantage of those who believe in a common good. Capitalism, the economic sibling of democracy, further reinforces the narcissist by rewarding opportunism quantifiably as money.
Careful consideration should be made to ensure that narcissists do not take advantage of those who are empowered and valued for legitimate reasons.
Content updated: 02 Jul 2004