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Just as there can be narcissism / insolent pride within an individual, there can also be entire cultures and nations that have narcissist characteristics.
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What is a narcissistic culture? A culture where the preponderence of the people are narcissists and act in narcissistic ways. Or a culture (or nation) where the entire group acts toward other groups with the heart and behavior of a narcissist.
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Two such cases in the Bible were the nation of Moab and the nation of Edom. Moab was the nation which came from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his older daughter. Edom was the nation which descended from Esau, Jacob’s twin brother.
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Referring to Moab……
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Isaiah 16:6
6 We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride;
Even of his arrogance, pride, and fury;
His idle boasts are false..
Jeremiah 48:29-30
29 “We have heard of the pride of Moab—he is very proud—
Of his haughtiness, his pride, his arrogance and his self-exaltation.
30 “I know his fury,” declares the Lord,
“But it is futile;
His idle boasts have accomplished nothing.
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Referring to Edom……
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Obadiah 1-4
Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom—
We have heard a report from the Lord,
And an envoy has been sent among the nations saying,
“Arise and let us go against her for battle”—
2 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
You are greatly despised.
3 “The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,
You who live in the clefts of the rock,
In the loftiness of your dwelling place,
Who say in your heart,
‘Who will bring me down to earth?’
4 “Though you build high like the eagle,
Though you set your nest among the stars,
From there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.
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Jeremiah 49:16
16 “As for the terror of you [Edom],
The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,
O you who live in the clefts of the rock,
Who occupy the height of the hill.
Though you make your nest as high as an eagle’s,
I will bring you down from there,” declares the Lord..
Just because a culture is narcissistic does not mean that everyone in that culture is a narcissist. For example, Ruth, the god-fearing grandmother of Kind David, was Moabite.
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I can think of 4 cultures which in my experience are narcisisstic, and one culture that is rapidly moving that direction. How does an entire culture become narcissistic? We will dig into that in a future discussion.
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Putting “Biblical Perspectives On Narcissism” Into Perspective