A groundbreaking study featured in the peer-reviewed journal Current Psychology uncovers a link between left-wing extremism, psychopathic tendencies, and narcissism.
"Given existing research, we predicted a correlation between high levels of left-wing authoritarianism and increased narcissism," the authors stated. This fresh perspective has led researchers Ann Krispenz and Alex Bertrams to introduce a novel term for this behavioral phenomenon: the "dark-ego-vehicle principle."
Elaborating on the principle to PsyPost, the authors explained, "This principle posits that individuals exhibiting dark personality traits, like extreme narcissism and psychopathy, are drawn towards certain forms of political and social activism. These become a conduit to fulfill their ego-centric needs rather than genuinely striving for social justice and equality."