Elliot Rodger Narcissism Analysis

On the contrary to the belief that Elliot Rodger possesses narcissistic qualities, his low self-esteem and his ability to recall memories of his youth does not qualify him as a narcissist. The first thing about Rodger that is interesting is his potential to recall the earliest memory of his youth, he would illustrate the events in depth and in harmony. One would think that he might be manipulating his readers with modest memories of his youth to prove that he is just an innocent person, who happen to experience countless of misfortunes. For example, Rodger wrote, “I had just entered this new world… I enjoyed life with innocent bliss. I can remember playing in the fields and going on long walks with Ah Mah to pick berries… The first birthday I remember was my 3rd birthday… I had a

helicopter birthday cake. I can remember one of my friend’s parents cutting off the first piece and giving it to my friend. I threw a tantrum because I was expecting to get the first piece” (1-2). The fact that Rodger can remember events in his childhood, such as going to pick berries or throwing a tantrum, is fascinating. It is actually a feature because some people have really amazing memory due to how their brain function. Therefore, we cannot leave out the fact that Rodger might be a person who possess the competency to remember the earliest part of his life and the fact that he might not be manipulating, a quality in the narcissism personality inventory, at all. In general, Rodger’s ability to recall precious childhood memories does not make him a narcissist.
However, manipulativeness behavior as one qualities in the narcissism personality inventory is a trait that Rodger exhibit and implement all throughout his manifesto. In the Glover’s article, she describes manipulativeness quality as a tendency to skillfully and characteristically manipulate, ply, shape, beguile, machinate, or maneuver the feelings or opinions of others. The memory of Rodger’s childhood may sound innocent and convincing at time, but he is known to be manipulative and deceptive to curtail others people feelings. There are two examples, the first one showcase Rodger manipulating his mom to make her think he’s attending Moorpark Community College. He wrote, “Towards the end of my spring semester at Moorpark, I was so frustrated with my lonely status at the college that I refused to even drive up there in the last few weeks. I left my home in the mornings, pretending to my mother that I was going to college, but instead I went to Barnes & Noble and sat there until my mother left for work, and then I would go back home,” one can see that Rodger is displaying a manipulative behavior to fool his mother. He pretended to attend his college classes, but instead due to his frustration of his lonely status he was willingly to deceit his mother for his own selfish self. Secondly, Rodger’s ability to recall his early childhood is questionable because the likelihood that he is able to recall so many events with vivacity would make one think if he is trying to manipulate the readers’ emotions, to feel sorrow for his misfortunes and unfortunate life decision. The first quarter of his manifesto is an act to deceit people’s emotions because why would he not included his innocent childhood memories. Those events, whether or not they may be true, is a way for Rodger to get people to pay less attention on his horrible deeds. For example, if one take notice in the first quarter of his manifesto, all he that he discussed is about how he’s innocent and how he’s a person who happen to live a life with misfortunes and disadvantages. Some people might felt touched by his story, but the reality is Rodger exhibit a manipulative behavior, a quality in the narcissism personality index, and that he implemented fraudulence tactics throughout his manifesto to deceit people’s feeling toward his inhumane and horrendous decision. Overall, Rodger has a manipulative personality, his act to include his innocent childhood events are to deceit people’s emotion and feeling toward his chaotic rampage.
The second feature that some people might argue to prove that Rodger is not a narcissist is his low self-esteem. Throughout the manifesto, he displays low level of self-esteem—always talking about feeling inferior or about the sadistic life he’s living. For example, in his manifesto Rodger would write, “As the Sixth Grade year came to a close, I felt dissatisfied and insignificant…They were both taller than me… They made me feel so inferior and worthless and small…I had a very fast metabolism, so I could eat as much as I wanted without getting fat. I suppose that was one advantage in my rather disadvantageous life.” These statements are taken from different part of Rodger’s manifesto, one will notice his word choices and the kind of statements he would describe about his feeling of inferiority or how he feel like he is worthless or insignificant in life. In this context, Rodger portrayal of his low self-esteem exclude him from being a narcissist because one of the quality people recognize about narcissists is the fact that they depict high level of self-esteem, which is exactly what Rodger lack in his personality, as one can see in the evidence above. In sum, Rodger’s low self-esteem disqualify him as a narcissistic person because narcissists are supposed to have high self-esteem.
Although, those arguments are valid, Rodger’s low self-esteem does not mean he is not a narcissist nor does his potential to recall the earliest memory of his childhood means he has a special ability, he could be utilizing a manipulative maneuver to fool readers. There are different types of narcissist, and the narcissistic qualities those narcissists exhibit differed from person to person. So, the fact that Rodger has low self-esteem does not exclude him from being consider a narcissist. Even though Rodger demonstrate he has a low self esteem throughout his manifesto. For example, he would write, “The tallest boys were automatically respected more. It instilled the first feelings of inferiority in me…I felt dissatisfied and insignificant…They were both taller than me… They made me feel so inferior and worthless and small.” As Twenge and Campbell has discuss in their book, there are myths about the quality that narcissists exhibit. One of the myth claimed that for a person to be considered a narcissist, he or she must have high self-esteem. The authors prove that narcissists don’t have to exhibit high self-esteem in order for them to be categorized as a narcissistic person because they could have low self-esteem and exhibit other qualities that belong to the narcissism personality inventory. Certainnly, Rodger demonstrate more than a few narcissistic qualities. Hence, his low self-esteem is just one quality that put him at odd. But, if one take into account other qualities Rodger exhibit, they will eventually come to a conclusion that Elliot Rodger is a narcissist. In conclusion, it does not matter if Rodger has low self-esteem because it is just myth that all narcissists have high self-esteem, but the fact is narcissist can posses low self-esteem.
In summary, Rodger is not just a mass murder who kill to relief the pain and sorrow of his misfortunate life, but he’s a person who exhibit multiple qualities in the narcissism personality inventory, which certified him as a narcissist.

In his manifesto and retribution video, he portray qualities of narcissism, from his statements to his actions, and his attitudes toward himself and others. In life there will be ups and downs, we can suffer by endorsing and maintaining our narcissistic qualities or as Thich Nhat Hanh refer to in his book, The World We Have, “we can practice accepting these essential truths…we’ll have peace and the capacity to live healthy and compassionate lives, no longer causing suffering to ourselves and to others” (54). People in this world, need to learn and realize that in life we just have to accept some truths. We cannot lets our misfortunes turn us into a monster, like Elliot Rodger. As human beings and society as a whole, we should take steps to try to reduce promotion of narcissistic qualities because those features are detrimental. We don't need more Elliot Rodger, the world need peace and love, that is a way toward a better tomorrow, a better

world.