The Narcissism of Minor Differences

 

The narcissism of minor differences is a concept that promotes the idea that human beings have a tendency to want to promote their differences with others rather than similarities. A consequence has been that human beings often seek to ensure that they emphasize on differences to such an extent that there comes a time when they end up in conflict with others who they believe to be different. In this paper, there will be an analysis of the theory of narcissism of minor differences as a nature of humanity, a form of self-identity, a form of uniformity, and finally, its negative effects.

The theory of narcissism of minor differences can be used to effectively explain the aggressive nature of human beings. Individuals tend to seek to enhance the differences between them, even though they may have the same origins, because they seek to advance their aggression towards one another. There is often a failure among them to recognize that rather than being different, they are actually quite similar and this creates a situation where they seek to magnify their differences to such an extent that they create a gap that seems unbridgeable. When this theory is considered from the perspective of human aggression, it explains a lot concerning the manner through which individuals end up not being able to handle being similar to one another because others remind them too much of themselves (Muris, Merckelbach, Otgaar, and Meijer, 2017). It might also be because of the desire to be so different from one another that they do not see their deficiencies; a situation that can be considered a cause of the aggression that they show towards one another. Therefore, minor differences end up becoming extremely pertinent to the lives of individuals because it makes them come to terms with their aggressive nature.

The narcissism of minor differences can also be made use of in determining the manner through which self-identity develops. This is especially the case considering that individuals have ended up forming groups that they believe hold similar characteristics and make them superior to others. A consequence has been that some groups have developed centuries of hatred and aggression towards one another to such an extent that they have not been able to determine the extremely greater number of similarities between them. The case of the Shia and Sunni divide among Muslims is an extreme example of the manner through which the narcissism of minor differences can end up disrupting the lives of individuals to such an extent that the way that they self-identify is based on the minor differences rather than the greater number of similarities between them (Nuruzzaman, 2017). The failure to better understand each other can lead to situations where it is difficult to bridge the divide made from minor differences. This is the case when it comes to the Shia-Sunni divide, which has been ongoing for centuries and has led to a situation where both sides consider themselves to be superior to the other and also look at their counterparts as heretics because they do not have the same minor political beliefs (Van Notten, 2014). They also fail to recognize that despite their minor differences, they both strongly identify as Muslims, and have the same practices of worship that bind all Muslims.

One of the most significant aspects of the narcissism of minor differences is that it involves a situation where despite an emphasis on their uniqueness, they are actually quite similar. Such is the case with societies such as the United States, which consider themselves exceptional because they pride themselves in attributes such as living in a society governed by democratic institutions, the rule of law, and an emphasis on individualism (Fosshage and Hershberg, 2014). However, these attributes tend to be based on more similarities than differences among individuals in society. This is especially considering that because of their beliefs in these attributes and their exceptionalism, rather than emphasizing their differences, these individuals are actually submitting to a form of uniformity. Therefore, without even realizing it, their indulging in the narcissism of minor differences has led individuals towards the bridging of these differences and essentially becoming a more cohesive society. Under such circumstances, it becomes possible for the narcissism of minor differences to act as a means of bringing people together rather than keeping them apart.

The narcissism of minor differences more often than not ends up leading to chaos. Chaos comes about because individuals of similar origins or beliefs are forced into situations where they take on antagonistic positions towards one another. This is to such an extent that they fail to consider their common origins and their similarities and are instead more focused on seeking to advance their differences. The conflict between the Croats and the Serbs is an example of such a situation because these peoples are of a common origin and their languages are so close that they are practically dialects of the same language (Brodić, Amelio, and Milivojević, 2015). However, the enmity and sense of superiority towards one another has led them into conflict that has lasted many years (Reidy, et al, 2015). The chaos that has come about, especially from the attempts of the Serbs to dominate the Croats can be considered the negative result of the narcissism of minor differences because it has led these individuals towards a failure to advance their similarities. Instead, wars have been fought between these two peoples and there has been massive loss of life and property that should not have happened.

In conclusion, the narcissism of minor differences can be considered an extremely destructive force in human societies. This is because it leads individuals towards a false sense of superiority and uniqueness that makes them blind to the similarities that they have with others. A consequence is that it magnifies differences that are virtually nonexistent and makes individuals fail to come together so that their similarities can enable them to build a more cohesive and just society that cater for all their needs. The examples provided above show that getting into a situation where the narcissism of minor differences is prominent is easier than getting out of it.