Natural law can be boiled down to two main pillars, the masculine self-defense principle and the feminine non-aggression principle (NAP), and BOTH provide freedom as a cause and they provide safety as an effect; it can be summarized by the saying “do no harm and take no shit”. The masculine self-defense principle provides freedom to myself to live my life free from external interference (as long as I stay within the limits of objective morality, which is governed by the NAP), and as a result of providing me with freedom from interference, I can feel safe. The feminine non-aggression principle provides freedom to others to live their lives free from my external interference (which is the literal definition of objective morality), and as a result of my being moral by providing them with freedom from my interference, they can feel safe. In both cases, safety is a net effect of the principle that the two pillars of natural law stand for, which is “to be free from, and to provide others freedom from my, external interference”, aka liberty.
Graphic courtesy of Mark Passio’s video on the 2nd Amendment.
In our current society, freedom and safety are at odds with each other, and they lead to opposing worldviews with different outcomes, where they can be seen as a spectrum where having more freedom typically equates to having less safety, and having more safety typically equates to having less freedom. Unfortunately, the safety that is provided at the expense of freedom in such a spectrum is at best conformist, and in the worst case becomes downright tyrannical slavery and self-sacrifice to keep oneself safe; it is an unsustainable and therefore false sense of safety then, an image of safety and not the real thing.
TRUTH & FREEDOM
Jesus said “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free”, which seemingly makes truth and freedom synonymous, or at the worst, interlinked concepts, but it also means that any safety that would come at the expense of freedom would have to be a lie, and focused on lies. Those who make safety their primary value are therefore liars, just as those who seek freedom are truth seekers; unfortunately, liars don’t just fight to keep their right to live their lies, because their lies make them feel ashamed when they are around those who value freedom and the truth, and feeling their shame really doesn’t feel safe to them, so liars go so far as to make war with and aggressively attack those who stand for truth, therefore violating the non-aggression principle, which means they are immoral people. The Bible story about Cain murdering his brother Abel highlights this point:
4 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
In this story, the often overlooked component is the feeling of envy that Cain had towards his brother Abel that preceded the first Biblically recorded murder. Like in the story of Adam and Eve’s fall from the Garden of Eden, where God asks them why they were naked, God speaks to Cain and asks him where his brother was at, and Cain’s response was the very first time we hear a child essentially say to a parental figure “I don’t know”. This parallel basically hints at the notion that shame was at play in Cain and Abel’s story, just as it was at play in the Garden of Eden story, but this allusion is also confirmed in the story, because he felt ashamed that his offering to God was not pleasing (aka he didn’t put enough skin in the game), while his brother Abel’s offering to God was pleasing (aka he did put enough skin in the game).
*Note, shame is the feeling that says “I am wrong”, while guilt is the feeling that says “I did something wrong”, people often prefer feeling guilt over shame, so they harm others (immoral actions) in a manner that confers their shame to their victim, in order to alleviate their shame.
It can therefore be inferred from the Bible passage in Genesis chapter four that unresolved shame can cause a person to become envious of those who are more successful than they are, and then from envy one’s shame can be projected onto the more successful person in a manner that scapegoats them. Said simply, Abel was the scapegoat for Cain’s shame of not pleasing God, and envy was the motivating factor that caused him to project his shame onto Abel by murdering him; shame led to envy and envy led to the immoral act of murder, which made him guilty. Cain felt wrong and then he did wrong to escape the feeling of being wrong.
Q: Is it true that toxic shame underlies narcissism in those who have it?
A: The relationship between toxic shame and narcissism is a complex one, but research suggests that there is indeed a strong connection. Toxic shame, also known as self-hatred or moral injury, refers to an intense feeling of worthlessness, guilt, and self-loathing that can arise from experiences of trauma, abuse, or rejection.Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) often exhibit behaviors that mask underlying feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and shame. In fact, many researchers and therapists believe that toxic shame is a core component of the narcissistic personality structure.
Here are some reasons why:
1. Shame-based self-image: People with NPD often have an inflated sense of self-importance, which can be seen as a defense mechanism against feelings of inadequacy and shame. They may present themselves as superior or exceptional to compensate for their perceived shortcomings.
2. Distrust and aggression: Narcissists are known for their aggressive and critical behavior towards others, particularly those who they perceive as threats to their self-image or status. This behavior can be seen as a way to deflect attention from their own shame and inadequacy.
3. Fear of vulnerability: Narcissists often have difficulty forming
genuine relationships due to their fear of being vulnerable and exposed. This fear is closely tied to the anxiety and shame associated with
feelings of inadequacy.
4. Grandiosity as a defense mechanism: The grandiose self-image that characterizes narcissism can be seen as an attempt to compensate for
feelings of shame, worthlessness, or insignificance.
5. Self-doubt and insecurity: Despite their outward appearance of
confidence and superiority, many individuals with NPD struggle with
intense self-doubt and insecurity. This is often a result of underlying
feelings of shame and inadequacy.However, it’s essential to note that not everyone who experiences toxic shame will develop narcissistic tendencies. The development of NPD requires a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors.
Therapists and researchers have proposed various models to explain the relationship between toxic shame and narcissism, including:
1. The shame-based model: This model posits that individuals with NPD experience intense feelings of shame and inadequacy, which they attempt to compensate for through grandiose behavior.
2. The trauma-informed model: This perspective suggests that traumatic experiences, particularly those involving rejection or abuse, can contribute to the development of narcissistic personality traits as a
defense mechanism against feelings of shame and vulnerability.In summary, while there is no one-size-fits-all explanation for the relationship between toxic shame and narcissism, research suggests that underlying feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and shame are common in individuals with NPD.
~Llama3.1 AI Chatbot
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