Monday, July 19, 2010

Monckton is a classic narcissist

Dear Readers,


A couple of days ago, I read this column by David Brooks in The New York Times (July 15, 2010) and was instantly struck by its perfect application to Monckton.

"Let us enter, you and I, into the moral universe of the modern narcissist. 

The narcissistic person is marked by a grandiose self-image, a constant need for admiration, and a general lack of empathy for others. He is the keeper of a sacred flame, which is the flame he holds to celebrate himself.

There used to be theories that deep down narcissists feel unworthy, but recent research doesn’t support this. Instead, it seems, the narcissist’s self-directed passion is deep and sincere.

His self-love is his most precious possession. It is the holy center of all that is sacred and right. He is hypersensitive about anybody who might splatter or disregard his greatness. If someone treats him slightingly, he perceives that as a deliberate and heinous attack. If someone threatens his reputation, he regards this as an act of blasphemy. He feels justified in punishing the attacker for this moral outrage.

And because he plays by different rules, and because so much is at stake, he can be uninhibited in response. Everyone gets angry when they feel their self-worth is threatened, but for the narcissist, revenge is a holy cause and a moral obligation, demanding overwhelming force."

Readers, was this not Monckton's reaction when Dr. John Abraham showed the emperor had no clothes?

Link to David Brooks' column:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/opinion/16brooks.html

4 comments:

  1. Tenney, I had exactly the same reaction when I read David's column. It describes Monckton perfectly.

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  2. Thanks, guys!

    The Climate Denial Machine has been feeding Monckton's ego for a long time.

    He also appears to be quite self-deluded what with his lies about his "participation in Thatcher's government" and about his sitting in the House of Lords.

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  3. Amazing how the superficial charm quickly glosses over his embarrassing truth bending, all the more excruciating to watch because he styles himself in academic qualities which is itself clearly a sham that anyone who has seen a few real academics talking can see through. Smoke mirrors and grandiose postures offend the discipline of science

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