Page 38 of By the Time You Read This (Raisa Susanto #3)
By Martha Hayden
Modern media can oftentimes portray vigilantes as righteous, brave and admirable. Charles Dickens’s Madame Thérèse Defarge and her revolutionary mob; Zorro (and, consequently, Puss in Boots) and his sword; even Batman and his cape and traumatic personal history. These are figures we admire, who exemplify all that is right in the world: justice free from bureaucratic red tape and police corruption.
In reality, those who adopt a vigilante identity tend to exhibit antisocial personalities that are harmful for their communities. Research conducted by Karl Aquino, of the University of British Columbia, has found that communal narcissism is a common trait in those found to have adopted a vigilante identity. Communal narcissists and narcissists share similar traits, such as entitlement, power-seeking behavior, grandiosity, etc., but those traits are exhibited in relation to their standing in the community. This sense of superiority leads them to believe they have a moral imperative—above everyone else—to dole out moral justice. Because of that, they can be easily motivated by admiration they receive for their actions, rather than any real concern for the welfare of others.
Aquino also found that sadism plays a large role in someone seeking a vigilante identity. When morality is the justification for someone’s actions, people with sadistic tendencies can sate their need to deliver harm to others and be praised while doing so.
Other research suggests that a vigilante identity is associated with those who have a victim mentality. People who tend to perceive themselves as victims in their interpersonal relationships, are more likely to monitor and then try to control those around them.
Maybe Batman is the closest to getting it right. Bruce Wayne—weak, contemptible party boy—is portrayed as the mask, whereas Batman—brave, resilient, morally upstanding—is the real man. But, as research has proven, time and again, the opposite is more likely to be true.