Labeling, categorizing, and grouping is good for those with Narcissistic agendas.
Another product of growing up in a dysfunctional environment, whether
it was family or community, is being 'taught' that people belong in
CATEGORIES. This categorizing puts people in GROUPS, and FORGETS that
they are individual human beings.
The "rich people", the "poor people", the "criminal people", the "churc...h people", the "politician people", etc, etc.
People also get categorized by race and sex.
Other CATEGORY groups can include "druggies", "yuppies", "working
stiffs", "bikers", "preps", "gangbangers", "hippies", "ruling class",
"losers", "winners", ~ the list goes on and on.
Entire
generations get labels put on them, usually by someone who is NOT part
of that generation; someone who has no way to know what the individuals
in that age group experienced growing up. (Narcissists believe they can
see completely from someone else's point of view, and also see
everything there is to see about any given subject; it doesn't occur to
them that they CAN'T.)
This habit of categorizing people is
simply the brain's way to turn people into members of groups, and ignore
their individuality, making it easier for the mind to deal with all the
different people around us. The brain simply DELETES REAL information
about other people, and wraps them in an easy-to-swallow story that
feels good to the ego.
On the other side of this same coin,
people often put THEMSELVES in groups in order to FIT IN, to be seen as a
certain "KIND" of person, and to be accepted by their community AND/OR
their peers. Often the goal includes being admired or respected above
others. ("I am one of THESE people, so you should
respect/admire/fear/accept me, and therefore automatically give me
better treatment").
A large majority of people will
automatically treat others differently if they think they're part of a
GROUP, (any group, even as simple as sex or race), for GOOD or for ILL.
Also, members of any group will usually treat a member differently than a non-member.
The less secure individuals feel in a given community or group, the MORE they behave this way.
The more Narcissists there are in a given area, the more common it is
for the people in the area to put group labels on other people. Also,
the more likely people in that area will try to make themselves known as
belonging to a certain group, because it affords some protection from
Narcissist targeting (any kind of group at all, from the Masons to the
Junior League, to the Tennis Club, to organized crime groups, to the
local gang, to less organized cliques and groups where everyone dresses
similarly, talks similarly, and does the same activities). Narcissists
are less likely to target individuals who appear to have some kind of
support network, and human beings LEARN THIS while they're growing up,
even if they're not consciously aware of it.
Ironically... the
increase in an area of people seeking to be seen as part of a group,
and labeling other people, actually makes it EASIER for Narcissists to
keep control in that area. Each group, large or small, has a leader, and
that's what Narcissists do best, control other people. If there is a
Narc. in the group, he or she WILL try to take the Leader position,
regardless of their actual level (or lack thereof) of experience,
knowledge, or ability.
To combat the ease of which Narcissists
gain control, we can start with ourselves by becoming more vigilant
about labeling and grouping others, and about labeling and grouping
ourselves. When we aren't doing it anymore, when we start remembering
that each person is an INDIVIDUAL, and not merely a member of a category
or group, then we can teach and model this for others, especially
children.
When Narcissists are around, the real abilities,
behaviors, and character of all individuals get covered up and buried,
so that Narcissists can end up looking like the most capable, the most
noble, the most innocent, and the most intelligent. Those who the
Narcissists are competing with get painted as incapable, weak, unstable,
and untrustworthy. So, when EVERYONE is recognized as an individual
person by the majority, and not some kind of clone that fits into a
certain group, then the real abilities and capabilities can be seen by
all, AS WELL AS the real agendas and behaviors.
