{"id":255338,"date":"2023-05-02T14:25:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-02T12:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=255338"},"modified":"2023-05-02T14:25:13","modified_gmt":"2023-05-02T12:25:13","slug":"the-narcissism-of-just-stop-oil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=255338","title":{"rendered":"The Narcissism Of Just Stop Oil"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Climate Change Dispatch<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0By\u00a0JOHN MAC GHLIONN<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Protesters from Just Stop Oil climate protest group glue their hands to the frame of a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s, The Last Supper inside the Royal Academy, London. Picture date: Tuesday July 5, 2022. (Photo by James Manning\/PA Images via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just Stop Oil (JSO) activists have an insatiable appetite for mayhem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protesters from the environmental group are slowing down traffic in London today, conducting a \u2018go slow\u2019 march through Parliament Square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t the first time, of course, that they\u2019ve caused disruption. [emphasis, links added]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cast your minds back to July last year, when five members of JSO glued themselves to the Last Supper painting<\/a> in London\u2019s Royal Academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few days before this rather odd demonstration, campaigners entered the National Gallery in central London and proceeded to glue themselves<\/a> to the frame of John Constable\u2019s The Hay Wain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this month,\u00a0a JSO protester<\/strong>\u00a0disrupted<\/a>\u00a0the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield by jumping onto the table and\u00a0emptying a bag of orange powder paint over the playing surface<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next up, according to reports<\/a>, is the King\u2019s coronation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Some JSO members appear to be hypocrites of the highest order<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A peer-reviewed paper<\/strong>, released earlier this month, suggests that some activism is driven by narcissism. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study<\/a>, conducted by two prominent psychologists at the University of Bern, Switzerland, found narcissism to be a common feature among \u2018anti-sexual assault activism\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But might that narcissism<\/strong> also be a motivating factor for other demonstrators<\/strong>, including members of JSO?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we think of narcissism, we tend to focus on agentic narcissism (those with diminished empathy for others), or grandiose narcissism (someone who displays an excessive sense of self-importance).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, communal narcissists<\/strong> \u2013 those who consider themselves the most caring person in their social surroundings \u2013 differ from more traditional narcissists, in that they use communal events<\/a> to satisfy their grandiose needs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the researchers, manipulative individuals with ulterior motives<\/strong> may view some types of activism<\/a> as a vehicle for obtaining positive self-presentation<\/strong> (e.g., virtue signaling) and gaining status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They may also view public demonstrations<\/strong> \u2013 particularly those against sexual assault \u2013 as a way of dominating others<\/strong> and engaging in social conflicts<\/strong> to \u2018get their thrills<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, some are willing to exploit the adoration (or notoriety)<\/strong> of the movement to fuel their own egotistical desires.<\/strong><\/a> The authors aren\u2019t describing JSO members specifically, but you would be forgiven for thinking otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the psychologists involved in the study, Alexander Bertrams<\/a>, told me that many forms of modern-day activism<\/strong> are attractive to narcissists<\/strong>, as they help satisfy their self-related needs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018In this sense,\u2019 he said, \u2018we have found a relationship<\/strong> between greater involvement in activism<\/strong> and a higher inclination for virtue signaling.<\/strong>\u2019 This allows an activist to advertise their supposed moral superiority<\/strong><\/a> over non-activists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018We think that narcissists are involved in activism not for altruistic reasons, but for selfish ones,\u2019 said Bertrams, who was quick to emphasize that activism in itself is not narcissistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, an increasing number of individuals<\/strong> with narcissistic traits<\/strong> view activism<\/strong> as a powerful channel to act out narcissistically<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On JSO protesters, Bertrams told me that climate activism<\/strong>, which \u2018is currently receiving a lot of media attention, elicits strong emotional reactions from the people<\/strong><\/a>, and involves a certain amount of aggression.<\/strong>\u2019 For this very reason, he noted, \u2018it is likely to be very attractive to narcissists.<\/strong>\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Bertrams, there are two groups of climate activists<\/strong>: those who take action<\/strong><\/a> out of their authentic views and are truly convinced that urgent action is required<\/strong>; and, on the other side, there are the narcissists<\/strong> who appear to be more interested in performative acts of \u2018care\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are fixated on the idea of drawing attention to themselves<\/strong>, rather than<\/strong> actually drawing attention to any specific environmental matter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018If trying to damage artworks<\/a> in the name of saving the climate leads to increased admiration<\/a> in one\u2019s peer group<\/strong> and invitations to talk shows,<\/strong>\u2019 said Bertrams, \u2018that strikes me as very attractive to narcissists<\/strong>.\u2019 Indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Narcissists derive great pleasure<\/strong> from being able to control and influence the actions of other people<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I can imagine that the negative emotions that a roadblock triggers<\/a><\/strong> in the affected citizens are emotional [food] for a narcissist<\/strong>,\u2019 said Bertrams. \u2018Triggering a strong reaction in others<\/a><\/strong> through one\u2019s own behavior is a form of exercising power and control.<\/strong>\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, there is the matter of hypocrisy<\/strong>: an infuriating practice that is intimately associated with narcissism<\/a>. Some JSO members appear to be hypocrites of the highest order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, they famously used adhesives<\/a> made from fossil fuels<\/strong> to glue themselves to paintings and roads<\/strong>. They claim to care about saving humanity, yet have prevented<\/a> ambulances and fire engines<\/strong> from reaching their destinations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bertrams stressed the fact that \u2018narcissists place a lot of value in presenting themselves in a positive light,\u2019 but rarely, if ever, live up to their lofty ideals<\/strong> away from the public eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A virtuous image is important to them, even if this image is built on nothing but a foundation of sand.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, one needn\u2019t be a trailblazing psychologist to see through the JSO charade. Nevertheless, the study sheds some much-needed light<\/strong> on the motives of some modern-day activists<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more at Spectator AU<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just Stop Oil (JSO) activists have an insatiable appetite for mayhem.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":255603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691819255,691819254,691819256],"class_list":{"0":"post-255338","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-climate-activism","9":"tag-just-stop-oil","10":"tag-social-conflicts","12":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/0soup-activists-feature.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-14qm","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":372674,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=372674","url_meta":{"origin":255338,"position":0},"title":"\u2018Just Stop Oil\u2019 \u2026 Stops","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/29\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"No more throwing soup (Van Gogh\u2019s \u201cSunflowers\u201d), breaking glass (the Magna Carta), and spraying orange Paint (Stonehenge)?","rel":"","context":"In \"anti-CO2 crusade\"","block_context":{"text":"anti-CO2 crusade","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=anti-co2-crusade"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0just-stop-oil.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0just-stop-oil.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0just-stop-oil.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0just-stop-oil.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0just-stop-oil.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":364223,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=364223","url_meta":{"origin":255338,"position":1},"title":"Legal Appeal: Climate Clowns \u201cdid what they did out of sacrifice\u201d","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/02\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201c\u2026 they argued judges defied decades of precedent by ignoring their conscientious motives. \u2026\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"climate activists\"","block_context":{"text":"climate activists","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-activists"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0db5583272b7b4991b27054b42ffb8ed1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0db5583272b7b4991b27054b42ffb8ed1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0db5583272b7b4991b27054b42ffb8ed1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0db5583272b7b4991b27054b42ffb8ed1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0db5583272b7b4991b27054b42ffb8ed1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":228305,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=228305","url_meta":{"origin":255338,"position":2},"title":"British Police Officer Injured in Just Stop Oil Traffic Chaos","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"11\/09\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Essex police officer injured as Just Stop Oil protests continue on M25","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/044ba8f7985c655b5e53f3a3896faa0bd.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/044ba8f7985c655b5e53f3a3896faa0bd.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/044ba8f7985c655b5e53f3a3896faa0bd.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/044ba8f7985c655b5e53f3a3896faa0bd.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/044ba8f7985c655b5e53f3a3896faa0bd.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":223957,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=223957","url_meta":{"origin":255338,"position":3},"title":"Climate Activists throw soup on Van Gogh painting to save the world","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/15\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Just Stop Oil\u00a0could be the dumbest science protest movement ever.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/00Screenshot-2022-10-15-100646.png?fit=837%2C528&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/00Screenshot-2022-10-15-100646.png?fit=837%2C528&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/00Screenshot-2022-10-15-100646.png?fit=837%2C528&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/00Screenshot-2022-10-15-100646.png?fit=837%2C528&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":249622,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=249622","url_meta":{"origin":255338,"position":4},"title":"Lawyers backing climate activists are HEROES says Just Stop Oil protester","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/25\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"More than 100 lawyers vow not to prosecute climate change protesters.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1084.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1084.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1084.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1084.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1084.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":265020,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=265020","url_meta":{"origin":255338,"position":5},"title":"Liberal Dilemma: \u201cJust Stop Oil\u201d Climate Protestors Disrupt Gay Pride March","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/02\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The police were especially prompt in removing the Just Stop Oil protestors, who on this occasion don\u2019t appear to have glued themselves to anything.","rel":"","context":"In \"Just Stop Oil\"","block_context":{"text":"Just Stop Oil","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=just-stop-oil"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/02023-stop-oil-protesters-stopped-828894005.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/02023-stop-oil-protesters-stopped-828894005.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/02023-stop-oil-protesters-stopped-828894005.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/02023-stop-oil-protesters-stopped-828894005.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/02023-stop-oil-protesters-stopped-828894005.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=255338"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":255606,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255338\/revisions\/255606"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/255603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=255338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=255338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=255338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}