Shame is an emotional state that is felt when a behavior does not match up with a person’s expectation of him/herself and/or societal standards. One normally feels shame in situations of embarrassment and humiliation, which ensues from being exposed either physically or otherwise, as in the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
Shame evokes a series of physiological responses that are universal and include activation of the sympathetic nervous system and stress response. According to psychoanalytic theory, chronic feelings of shame are coupled with a sense of inferiority, are incredibly agonizing and evoke the construction of narcissistic defenses. This makes sense, as when a person feels shame and insecurity at the inner self, s/he seeks constant emotional support, fortification and justification from the outside.
Alongside guilt, shame guides and regulates human behaviors within a society to promote equilibrium. Accordingly, shaming has been used as a threat, punishment and means of control. A fictional, though representative version of shaming is epitomized in Cersei Lannister’s walk of shame from George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones.
When feelings of shame are overbearing, people with narcissistic defenses typically run and hide, blame others for their predicament and lash out in rage regardless of personal or societal costs. Back in Game of Thrones’ Casterly Rock, Cersei perfectly demonstrates the destructiveness and desperation of narcissistic defenses in an epic fashion. In response to her shaming, she successfully plots to burn her antagonists while remaining oblivious and indifferent to the consequences her actions have on her son, King Tommen, who kills himself in grief.
It stands to reason that the percent of narcissists who are politicians within a corrupt and immoral system is larger than that found within the general population. Instead of what would be an agonizing, though mature process of coming to terms with shameful acts of corruption, war and general inadequacy, many politicians initially deny all accusations and when irrevocable proof of their perversions is presented, they blame others in hysterical and destructive raging fits.
Sound familiar?
The Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton just suffered an astounding defeat to Donald Trump, a sexist and racist reality show star who they and their media lackeys categorically dismissed as inadequate and a joke. According to WikiLeak’s Podesta emails the Clinton camp strategized to elevate Donald Trump as a seemingly easily-defeated Republican candidate in a smug ploy that backfired.
Since, Clinton and her allies have portrayed stereotypically narcissistic defenses. First, Clinton herself cowardly ran and hid. Have you heard much from her since her failure? Second, her camp denied all culpability, which would inevitably result in major overhauling of the Democratic party and Clinton’s resignation from political life. On the contrary, in a nightmare scenario for New Yorkers in which they will be cursed with both 2016 presidential candidates, there are rumors that Clinton may run for the prestigious position of New York City Mayor. Third, Clinton and her camp are blaming anyone and everyone for their abysmal fiasco of a campaign, which included intense propaganda perpetuated by most mainstream American media outlets. Some of their scapegoats have included FBI Director Comey, Russian President Putin and his army of hackers, WikiLeaks and Julian Assange and the independent media that saw past the propaganda and called Democrats and their allies out on their lies and corruptions.
These narcissistic defenses have led to a coordinated villainization of a nuclear-armed Russia and Vladimir Putin. Playing along with the unsubstantiated narrative of direct Russian interference in the elections, Barack Obama has expelled thirty-five Russian diplomats from the United States and sent US forces to Poland in the biggest deployment since the cold war.
Democrats, Washington insiders and the mainstream media have been unable to deal with their shame and admit their failure and defeat. Instead, they are driving a dangerous and destructive narcissistic agenda with the potential of making Cersei Lannister’s act of rage and defiance look like child’s play.
People everywhere should be terrified, outraged and demand immediate accountability, or we may all be sacrificed like pawns in the establishment’s all-too-real game of thrones.