Lessons in narcissism – from Tesla?
The past week has seen the announcement of a recall of nearly 4000 Tesla Cybertrucks. Some pedals are getting stuck in acceleration mode, with a risk of crashing1. As a writer about narcissism, this got me thinking: Could the Cybertruck, with its unbreakable windows and its AI mind be a ‘narcissistic truck’? This post is hopefully a playful look at this very special vehicle - just in case it offers us a fresh take on narcissism in humans – both the good and bad. I have zero knowledge of trucks and this is in no way a review of Cybertruck, with its nod to Mad Max and Tank Girl. Neither will I ask how a truck, if it were narcissistic, might have become this way.
Innovation
A few posts ago, I wrote about the ‘performing face of narcissism’. Narcissism likes to remove or ignore limitations. And this can unlock powerful creativity and invention. There are many modern products, technologies, ideas and conventions that probably owe a lot to narcissistic activity. In 2008, Tesla began, in the electric vehicle industry, adding something that was desperately needed to get it moving: glamour and power. And now, we have the Cybertruck.
The hard shell
An over-arching priority in narcissism, is to avoid any experience of vulnerability. Some authors describe two kinds of narcissism: ‘thick-skinned’ (more grandiose, more power-seeking, more emotionally stable, less sensitive) and ‘thin-skinned’ (more sensitive to criticism, less emotionally stable). Generally though, in narcissism the skin is thick – insensitive not only to others but to ones own feelings. Cold. The outer ‘skin’ can become more like a shell, and according to some psychotherapists, this can show up physically in parts of the face and posture2. The function of this narcissistic human shell is to hide the soft internal world of real feelings and emotion. Freud said that one consequence of a narcissistic set of strategies is that,
“The outermost surface ceases to have the structure proper to living matter”2 (Sigmund Freud)
The ‘exoskeleton’ of the Cybertruck is made from 30x cold-rolled stainless steel3. There are no curves. Tesla refer to this shell as ‘bullet-resistant to 9mm caliber rounds’3 (the sentiment at least is clear).
I can think of trucks with contours and features that evoke living matter a lot more. We cannot see headlights that might give an impression of windows to a soul. One of the main problems with having a hard exterior, is that your vulnerability is now invisible. As a result of this invisibility, narcissism can itself attract harsh treatment or even attack. Unfortunately, it seems that even in a truck, this can appear to excuse baseball or steel ball-throwing – even by those invested heavily in its wellfare – the equivalent of family! “Testing” they call it.
In humans, hiding vulnerability and disconnecting from feelings can cause a second problem. It can silence or quieten the ‘warning-light’ function of some emotions such as fear or anxiety for the person. This then creates a risk that when in a risky relational situation, the warning-light does not get noticed. When another person might regretfully abandon the relationship, or assert their emotional needs, the person with a less visible warning light does nothing. It seems the Cybertruck has had a similar problem. In February this year it was ruled that the instrument panel warning light fonts were too small for the driver to see properly. The equivalent of psychotherapy for trucks – a software update – was required by the National Highway traffic Safety Administration. Again, there was a risk of crashing.
Intimidation and admiration
Narcissism has a habit of being intimidating. But this intimidation can take many forms: beautiful, intellectual, powerful, controlling, rich, or charismatic. Some icons I have posted about, such as Charles Chaplin, have had a combination of all of these. In narcissism, intimidation and the provoking of admiration become bedfellows – both offering distance from vulnerability. Actress Elizabeth Taylor, who became the most famous actress in the world during the 1960s and 70s, is said to have intimidated adults with her beauty even as child. One studio photographer, Bob Willoughby, found himself lost, studying her face and forgetting to pick up his camera.4 Physical beauty and charisma made her shine, but it also made intimate relationships and dating almost impossible.
Is the $60,000 Cybertruck intimidating? It’s no campervan. I find it intimidating in that it makes me feel unprepared for a Mad Max world that, if I believe the message, is already a reality. Of course, this in itself, makes the truck desirable for a particular market. We can admire its physical stance and its air-ride suspension with 12 inches of lift, or its advanced manoeuvrability3. But will its owners stick with it? Will they get attached? Will it be the new Hummer (good) or the new Sinclair C5 (not good)? When they get underneath the bullet proof shell and close the toughened windows, what will they find inside? Apparently, something quite different.
Performance
As a strategy to find distance from vulnerability, performing can be highly effective. You can perform a highly valued role (politician?) or, in a more artistic sense, from the distance of stage or screen. If performance is a desperate strategy to find distance from trauma (see theory post), there can be a problem with moderating the strategy of high performance. Specifically, there can be a problem with slowing down. The flight is desperate, and alternative strategies are not available. I noticed in the life of Marilyn Monroe that she just did not know how to switch out of the performance and persona strategy even when it was killing her. She didn’t know how to stop. The Cybertruck has a top speed of 112 mph. It can do 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds. But for just a moment this week, this intimidating, futuristic, high performance and unbreakable truck –seemed so preoccupied with performance, that it could have just crashed.
Only in narcissism can we compare a Cybertruck with Marilyn Monroe. It is not really, though, a person. And narcissism is an interpersonal phenomenon. But Cybertruck might suffer in ways that are similar to the ways in which narcissism can backfire in humans. The stakes are high. And yet, there is part of me, of course, that wants to have one.
The next post will return to the glamourous world of film, music and, of course, human beings.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
References
1. Rahman-Jones, I. (19th April, 2024) Tesla Recalls Cybertrucks Over Accelerator Crash Risk. Downloaded from: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9ezp0lv039o
2. Lowen, A. (1985). Narcissism: The Denial of the True Self. Touchstone
3. Elliott, H. (February 28th, 2024) Tesla Cybertruck review: It’s Weird, Brash, But Not Bad. Downloaded from: https://www.ttnews.com/articles/tesla-cybertruck-review
4. Andresen Brower, K. (2022). Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon. Harper Collins.