JRR Tolkien produced one of the greatest stories ever told as it perfectly depicts the struggle between the dual forces better known as good and evil. In fact, the main antagonist of The Lord of the Rings, Sauron the Deceiver, symbolizes narcissism at its core because he actively works to consume all that opposes him. That is, anything beyond Sauron is seen as an extension of his own being rather than representing separate, unique puzzle pieces that comprise the universe at large.

So what does this mean? Well, it means that it symbolizes a threat to all sentient beings! Oh, but narcissists really aren’t that dangerous, are they? Well, let’s go through our little checklist to determine the validity of such an absurd claim.

A malignant narcissist is masterful when it comes to manipulating individuals or entire groups. How is this achieved? Well, it all depends on the nature of the relationships, although gassing, triangulation, outbursts of rage, silent treatment spells, and even displaying “the evil eye” are all methods a narcissist will use to skew the perceptions of others. those who can challenge. the abuser in question.

None of those techniques or behaviors are loving in nature. In fact, each can work to lower their sense of self-esteem and worth in a world that is quickly engulfed in darkness when they find themselves entwined with such an abuser. My own narcissistic mother constantly used others to ensure that her position was elevated. You know, the proverbial “a mother can do no wrong”.

Well, my own experience has shown me how invalid that claim really is. Take, for example, the time my birth mother successfully manipulated a licensed therapist into believing that this writer was causing ALL the problems in our relationship. Right, because there’s nothing one-sided about that, so how did my therapist fall into the trap of shaming her client instead of supporting her personalized healing process?

It all has to do with the image a narcissist projects because even Sauron was able to appear benevolent and well-intentioned when it suited him. This was how he was able to uproot the various power structures in Middle Earth before the Lord of the Rings took place. For there was a time when the Númenóreans (men) and Valar (divine beings) kept Sauron in check, though he managed to infiltrate Númenór to corrupt it from within.

This is evident when Sauron gave the rings of power to Elves, Dwarves and men. The first two races were able to resist Sauron’s deceptions through a combination of resilience and intelligence, though men were not so lucky as the kings of men eventually lost their identities and succumbed to the will of the dark lord. They would become the Nazgûl, servants answerable only to Sauron (not even themselves).

If this all still seems like overkill, focus on what happened to Gollum and Denethor. Each became a shell of their former glory, and it was all because they had been exposed to Sauron’s corruption (abuse). One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them. One ring to draw them all and bind them in the dark. That is to say, Sauron is a malignant narcissist who does not care for the life and well-being of sentient life forms that reside beyond his own world.