In this post, I'll be going over a few of the reasons I think Bob Chipman is a vulnerable narcissist. Before we begin, I have to stress again: I'm a layman, I'm not an expert, I don't have the medical ability to diagnose anyone, and even if I did I'd need to do a full diagnostic interview and psychological evaluation on Bob before I could diagnose him with anything short of a head cold. I say this not because I assume you care that much, or you're not smart enough to know, but for my own conscious. I absolutely despise it when people recklessly throw around medical terminology and act like experts when they don't know anything and end up judging or hurting people. This is only meant as speculation and a very basic character judgement. My knowledge of narcissistic personality disorder comes from bits and pieces I've picked up from reading articles and watching videos on the topic. I'm bound to miss some things or get them wrong, take what I say with a grain of salt, and also keep in mind that I might be very, very biased because I really don't like Bob.
For this post, I'm mainly going to use this
Mayo Clinic article as a source, occasionally linking to other sources as needed.
With all that out of the way, let's have a look at the traits I think Bob embodies, and why I think so:
1.
Have an exaggerated sense of self-importance: this one is pretty self-explanatory. He refers to himself as a "coastal elite" and brags about how much smarter he is than the average person. He talks about how the popcorn flicks he likes are actually high art on par with the great classics of film and literature, and seems to hold a high regard for his "profession" and talks as if he's an expert in his craft even though he's average at best.
2.
Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it: this goes back to him calling himself an "elite" and acting very haughty and self-important even though he's a mediocre internet critic who makes sketches in front of a greenscreen. There's really nothing to back up his characterization of himself as a "coastal elite" other than the fact that he lives in a coastal city. Even though there's nothing to really put him above the average midwest factory worker he still takes delight in calling them "mayo ghouls" and acting like he's better than them. He's also refereed to far more successful content creators as his "peers" even if they don't know him.
3.
Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate: This is his "Star Trek Future" fantasy to a T. While most people would just indulge in a Star Trek fantasy for fun and discard it later, he clings to it violently and keeps bringing it up or alluding to it. He gets genuinely angry when talking about it, says he "earned" it and it was "robbed" from him by mayo ghouls, and he obsesses with any indication that it could be coming closer.
4.
Believe they are superior and can only associate with equally special people: Bob separates everyone into two castes: "Coastal Elites" and "Mayo Ghouls." He's constantly disparaging and insulting the latter and speaks of them in very disgusted, dismissive terms and alludes to the idea that they're not even really human. He's better than them, and he should be hob-knobbing with other elites like Lindsay Ellis and Hillary Clinton.
5. Monopolize conversations and belittle or look down on people they perceive as inferior: I'm not sure about the first half because I've never seen him talk one-on-one with anyone, but the second half is dead-on. He's constantly calling people "ghouls" and "things" and says they're obsolete, they're dying, they're useless and they need to be disposed of or replaced. Half his Twitter feed is just him calling people subhuman for not being like him.
6.
Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others: He has about zero empathy for anyone in a rural area who voted for Trump and openly claims they can't be reformed or helped. He doesn't acknowledge that they're humans with feelings who might have a good reason for thinking the way they do. He doesn't take any time or care to understand them, he just wants them gone.
7.
Behave in an arrogant or haughty manner, coming across as conceited, boastful and pretentious: Definitely fits, given everything above.
8.
Have significant interpersonal problems and easily feel slighted: His stories of Highschool and family troubles suggest this is true. He seems to run into personal conflict with everyone he meets and, if you believe him, is bullied a lot by people who are intimidated by his intelligence.
9.
React with rage or contempt and try to belittle the other person to make themselves appear superior: Again, this is like half his Twitter feed. He's constantly insulting and mocking people, getting into fights and dishing out "hot takes" to an alarming level. Of course, this also describes a lot of people who use Twitter and even the rest of the internet, so take it or leave it.
10.
Have difficulty regulating emotions and behavior: He's had to backtrack publicly multiple times after saying he supports eugenics or cheering on the actual killings of people he doesn't like. He gets angry or haughty and says things he has to take back because he can't hold his contempt in.
11 and 12.
Feel depressed and moody because they fall short of perfection and
Have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, vulnerability and humiliation: He never really seems to be actually happy. In addition to constantly bitching on Twitter about the things he "deserves" but doesn't have, he's also admitted multiple times that he struggles with depression and sometimes doesn't even want to get out of bed. He's shown many signs of being deeply unhappy with his life and the way it's going, even if admitting that to the "mayo ghouls" would make him sick.
