Follow the Science! – Study Links Left-Wing Extremism and Mental Illness

Conservatives have joked about it since the beginning of time, but now, a new study says that all the jokes just might have a grain of truth to them. In a recent issue of a peer-reviewed journal called Current Psychology, researchers say they have found a link between left-wing activism and mental illness, more specifically, psychopathic tendencies and narcissism. The researchers, Ann Krispenz and Alex Bertrams, have even given this behavior a name: “dark-ego-vehicle principle.” In an interview, Krispenz and Bertrams explained this behavioral phenomenon this way:

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.

Least surprising headline of the year https://t.co/5N1RrnIxOu

— Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) May 26, 2023

Krispenz and Bertrams went on to explain, a little deeper, the behavioral patterns of those afflicted with this condition. That explanation may cause some of us to snicker and engage in a bit of abnormal behavior ourselves, enjoying some schadenfreude. They say that these forms of activism allow for these individuals to engage in self-promotion and assertions of moral superiority. That, in turn, allows them to attain a certain level of social status and authority within their social circles. They also seek out more social conflict and are more aggressive in that conflict, primarily for thrill-seeking.

Krispenz and Bertrams also “learned,” during the course of their research, what they described as an “intriguing contradiction.” Conservatives and right-leaning people, however, might call it “just another day,” but have long known and observed that those whom the researchers dubbed “high in LWA (left-wing authoritarianism– I can’t stop laughing) rarely practice the same prescribed activities they insist on for everyone else. Think John Kerry yapping about climate change and flying around on a private jet. They say that, essentially, the extreme activism that is practiced by these people, is basically just a facade, and that in their personal lives, they act in whatever way they wish. They tend to brand anyone with whom they disagree as “old-fashioned,” or the more popular, “racist,” “sexist,” “fascist,” and the old standby, “Nazi.” They also, surprise, suppress freedom of speech in educational settings and will support violence to achieve their political goals. And while they say they are fighting for a particular group, minorities, LGBTQ, etc., what it is really all about (another surprise) is them, and they can tend to hijack a cause or issue.

https://twitter.com/mikebranmax19/status/1661814119727595530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1661814119727595530%7Ctwgr%5E460b9403426d2382eb6fe1585962aef4d8cf4248%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fbeckynoble%2F2023%2F05%2F26%2Ffollow-the-science-study-links-left-wing-extremism-and-mental-illness-n751868

This type of research is not new. A study from 2020, also showed that those on the left tended to suffer from mental illness at a higher rate than those who identified as conservative. General Social Survey data (GSS) as far back as the 1970s, all the way through the 2010s, showed that:

[R]esults found that extreme liberals had a 150% increased rate of mental illness compared to moderates.The finding of increased mental illness among left-wingers is congruent with numerous findings based on related constructs, such as positive relationships between conservatism, religiousness and health in general.

Most conservatives would tell these researchers that they could have saved a lot of money on studies by just following left-wing protests currently going on. Any cause they champion must be accepted wholeheartedly, no matter how abusive or completely abnormal it is. They clearly believe they have an unprecedented moral superiority over anyone else and know better how to live your life than you do. The truth is, the same people who champion “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” only believe in it if they agree with it, and woe unto anyone who questions them or their beliefs — plan on your life being destroyed.

While both Krispenz and Bertrams said that authoritarianism happens at both ends of the political spectrum, there was considerably more known research on “right-wing” authoritarianism. They said that “Research on authoritarianism within individuals supportive of left-wing political ideologies remains sparse.” Here’s my shocked face.

I had to take a screenshot just in case @elonmusk deletes his tweet pic.twitter.com/UNvoSIIp1G

— David Leavitt 🎲🎮🧙‍♂️🌈 (@David_Leavitt) May 24, 2023