You’ve been Punked. Actually you have been narcissized. Maybe, after what we have been witnessing the word will make it into the dictionary. So what is it? Well Narcissistic personality disorders run along a continuum from your garden variety me first, truth challenged, empathy impaired, gaslighting neighbor or co-worker to the malignant sociopathic type who may occupy leadership positions in government or business. At present we have been narcissized in two major spheres that are affecting every area of our lives. First we have the ongoing COVID 19 denials, misinformation, and disinformation campaigns that have persuaded many to flout the CDC recommendations culminating in the US having the highest rate of infections and deaths in the world. We are now in worse shape than we were in the Spring of 2020. COVID 19 has been politicized for personal gain at a terrible cost. Second, we have the “rigged election” propaganda that started in the 2016 election cycle and continues. Supported by numerous high profile politicians and many media sites, it culminated in the acts of domestic terrorism, the insurrection, on 1/6/21. You have seen the footage. By the way that is also a super spreader event for COVID 19. NPD’s pose grave threats to our civilization. Corresponding with this empathy levels are on the decline and research has borne this out. When we lack empathy, we are capable of causing tremendous harm. We are steadily drifting deeper into a narcissistic culture that rewards self-interest and self-aggrandizement with minimal concern for each other. We need to find a way to limit their destructiveness by no longer rewarding such behavior with wealth and power. These are often the worst people to have in leadership positions. This begins with understanding and identifying the illness. So for your edification:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/narcissism-demystified/201907/10-things-not-do-narcissists