Have Narcissism and Bullshit Triumphed? A Psychotherapy Matters Reflection
by: Dr. Allan Steingart
At Psychotherapy Matters, we witness every day how human beings struggle to make sense of themselves in a noisy, performative world. Our collaborative model is grounded in the belief that careful dialogue, clinical integrity, and relational attunement matter. But increasingly, we must ask: are we working against a cultural tide in which narcissism and bullshit are winning?
1. Yes—The World Now Incentivizes Performance Over Substance
a. Digital Culture Rewards Narcissism
Clients and therapists alike live in an environment where self-presentation has replaced self-reflection. Instagram therapy, TikTok diagnoses, and identity-first branding have created a context in which the performance of insight often replaces the practice of it.
b. Bullshit Has Become a Normative Mode of Communication
We don’t just lie; we speak without concern for truth. As Harry Frankfurt noted, bullshit isn’t about deception—it’s about indifference to accuracy. This is rampant in healthcare systems, government reports, social media feeds, and yes, even within mental health discourse.
2. But This Is Not a New Problem—It’s Human
What’s new is not narcissism or bullshit—it’s their amplification.
a. Desire is Imitative
As Girard taught, we want what others appear to want. In a hyperconnected world, this creates a feedback loop: therapists mimic other therapists, clinicians follow performative scripts, and clients pursue identities crafted by algorithmic trends. Desire becomes contagion, not reflection.
b. Humans Are Wired for Belonging, Not Truth
We evolved to signal loyalty, mirror our group, and avoid exclusion. Our attention is drawn to confidence, not competence. Our minds choose coherence over complexity. And so, even in therapeutic spaces, bullshit often feels safer than honesty.
3. Psychotherapy Is a Countercultural Act
At its best, psychotherapy is a quiet rebellion against noise:
- It privileges listening over broadcasting.
- It values inner coherence over external validation.
- It insists that truth emerges in relationship, not from branding or slogans.
The PM model, where therapists and psychiatrists work with and through each other, is a wager against narcissism. It says: we will not do this alone, and we will not do it performatively.
Conclusion
We are not witnessing the end of civilization. We are watching what happens when civilization becomes disintermediated, decontextualized, and performative (see Table 1).
Psychotherapy Matters exists because we still believe in the slow, difficult, relational work of telling the truth in good company. Narcissism may shout, and bullshit may go viral, but collaboration and care remain subversive acts.
The question now is whether truth, humility, and reflection can find new forms and incentives. Psychotherapy Matters is a bold effort to do just that. Check us out.
Table 1: When Mental Health Care Becomes Disintermediated, Decontextualized, and Performative
| Term | What It Means | Cultural Risk | PM’s Response |
| Disintermediated | Gatekeepers removed; information flows directly without institutional checks. | Unfiltered information leads to confusion and loss of clinical integrity. | Restore structure and shared standards through collaboration. |
| Decontextualized | Stripped of original context; loses nuance, relational grounding, and meaning. | Mental health terms misused; diagnoses flatten complexity. | Re-anchor care in context via team-based, longitudinal consultation. |
| Performative | Done for appearance; motivated by visibility rather than substance. | Therapy becomes a performance, not a reflective process. | Center authenticity, humility, and substance over optics. |