Oh look, it's only what everyone with common sense and psychologists like Dr. Jordan Peterson have been saying for YEARS.

"Based on existing research, we expected individuals with higher levels of left-wing authoritarianism to also report higher levels of narcissism," the authors wrote.

As result of the new data, study authors Ann Krispenz and Alex Bertrams have coined a new term for such psychological behavior: the "dark-ego-vehicle principle."

"According to this principle, individuals with dark personalities — such as high narcissistic and psychopathic traits — are attracted to certain forms of political and social activism which they can use as a vehicle to satisfy their own ego-focused needs instead of actually aiming at social justice and equality," they told PsyPost.

Oh really? People attracted to causes like BLM, pandemic mandates, and drag shows for kids tend to be greedy psychopaths who will burn down cities for the heck of it? Who could have guessed??

"In particular, certain forms of activism might provide them with opportunities for positive self-presentation and displays of moral superiority, to gain social status, to dominate others, and to engage in social conflicts and aggression to satisfy their need for thrill seeking."

The study on left-wing authoritarianism also showed that many times they do not practice what they so loudly preach.

Social justice is often used as a guise for these activists to behave unhinged, the research noted.

Fancy that!

It's amazing how accurate this meme template is today.

I'm old enough to remember the last 20 years when Christian pastors came out and told us we weren't loving our neighbor if we didn't support these leftist activists.

Then the few of us who publicly pointed out the slide toward violent authoritarianism that spits in the face of freedom, love, and justice got censored and doxxed for our trouble.

This is why it was maddening to me when secular psychologists like Jordan Peterson understood what Christian leaders did not!

#TheRightSideOfHistory, amiright?

I don't take much stock in studies or experts these days, but whoever decided to study this subject should publish a paper next that proves water is wet or fire is hot.

I should note that the paper in Current Psychology is not, by all accounts, starting with right-wing bias. It begins with a paragraph devoted to the J6 Capitol riot and an explanation of authoritarianism on the political right.

From there, it says authoritarianism "cannot only be found on the right side of the political spectrum but might also be prevalent on the political left."

Might, they say.

Might.

Most of the problem is in our framing of the whole left-right spectrum. We think of Nazis as far-right and commies as far-left, ignoring the fact that Hitler and his buddies were national socialists and that the wider issue has little to do with our 21st-century framing of "left" and "right" and much more to do with whose authority we ascribe to.

Those who truly believe there is a God in heaven – really, actually believe that there is a Creator who will judge the living and the dead, detests sin, and gives instructions for our good – will act in a wildly different way than those who see authority as a subjective human endeavor.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to the study:

...a highly narcissistic/psychopathic person may participate in a pro-BLM protest pretending to fight against racism while actually using such protesting activities to meet their own aggressive motives and thrills (e.g., via violent escalations during pro-BLM protests). Further, such individuals might be attracted to pro-BLM activism, because this form of activism can provide them with opportunities for positive self-presentation (e.g., virtue signaling).

It's not just riots though. Jordan Peterson has discussed how other leftist causes are narcissistic as well:

Some people are more willing to commit evil than others, but at the end of the day, you only believe that some people are normal and some people are psychopaths if you don't believe that all people are fallen creatures devoid of hope apart from the love and mercy of God.

If you believe people are generally good, then you won't understand why some people truly, deeply want the world to burn. You'll be stuck trying to reason with evil for the rest of your life if you go down that path.

This is why all those woke DAs think they can make society better by releasing criminals based on the color of their skin. It's why all the suburban white moms were putting BLM signs in their yards. They didn't understand that what they called "social justice" was anarchy and death. The same is true for the moms who buy LGBT clothes for their toddlers at Target.

That misunderstanding of human nature is crucial. If you don't believe everyone is evil, including yourself, then you're part of the problem as well.

One last bit from the study:

These results also show that some individuals with high levels of antagonistic narcissism may be motivated to endorse either right- or left-wing ideological attitudes depending on which of these attitudes seems to be more opportune to them given a specific situation.

Translation: People who have abandoned all fear of God and given in to the depravities of their own heart will latch on to anything destructive that can give them power and pleasure.

You may think that's only lurking in other people. Certainly not in your own heart, right? Wrong! You're a ticking time bomb, my friend. Your intelligence, your money, your emotional capacity – none of these things will save you, because there are people who have given up on being saved who are willing to do much darker and detestable things to get ahead.

The only salvation from your own narcissism and psychopathy is to turn to the light, but you can only do that with a heart change.

And left or right, there's only one way that's possible, experts be damned.