Narcissism of small/minor differences

Narcissism of small/minor differences

The narcissism of minor differences is a type of cognitive dissonance that affects individuals or groups. Those affected believed that minor differences in physical or social characteristics are linked to a moral deficiency. Intolerance of such variations, which may be associated with stereotyping, may escalate into inter-group hostility, discrimination, and, in rare cases, violence. Civil wars or border disputes that foster wars are frequently linked to the narcissism of minor differences. This encyclopaedia entry is divided into two parts. The first part discussed the exegesis of the narcissism of minor differences as a theoretical concept. The second summarises recent studies that connect collective narcissism with discriminatory policies, populism, and violence.
The narcissism of minor differences as a collective cognitive dissonance
The term 'narcissism of minor differences was first used with current meaning by Sigmund Freud (1957, p. 199, 2015, p. V, 2018, pp. 31–32). It has since been used to explain the escalation of hostilities between ethnic groups (Spolaore and Wacziarg 2016), political parties (Bauman 1999; de Zavala et al. 2009), and corporations (Smith 2010). However, narcissism minor differences is most commonly associated with nationalism and ethnic conflicts (Ignatieff 1999).

Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions.