G: Keith is ‘la grandioso’ narcissist

Why was it important Keith Raniere portray himself as having one of the highest IQ’s recorded, if not the highest?

To establish an upper hand over others, that he looks at life a whole lot better than you.

The “I’m right, I can do that better, I know more than you” bit.

Why the collateral aka confessions, whether true or fabricated?

Narcissists want to figure out your weak spots, your vulnerabilities.

What better way than for Keith to couch it in terms of “this is for your betterment, to help keep you to your word. “

Yet he kept asking for more, building a dossier.

In the beginning a narcissist, such as Keith – as he did with Toni Natalie – encourages you to pour out your heart and soul, wanting you to learn to trust them. They may even openly state it that way.

But it is a pseudo nature of trust because all the while the narcissist is taking notes.

Keith soon got others to do this for him, with the graphic pics, the written confessions, always asking for more and the more being more outrageous.

Hearsay isn’t as good as self confession, embarrassing nude pics and handwritten confessions, is it?

Now the narcissist aka Keith knows your flaws.

Notice how soon NXIVM went from self-help to bashing the feminine sex? “Women aren’t loyal like men,” yada yada.

Now the criticism and judgement take sway. They will point out your flaws, your lack of character, that he knows who you are and you are not nearly as good as you think you are.

And you, you poor schnook, you thought they were talking to you in a loving and accepting exchange but that’s not the way a narcissist works.

Remember Nancy Salzman, his right hand gal?

After he used what he could from her, Keith did, as narcissists do, started to engage in tearing her down.

Build up, for a short time, then tear down. Classic narcissist. What we now term as cognitive dissonance. Probably added a bit of gas lighting for good measure.

This way the narcissist keeps you off balance, in fear, not knowing what’s next. What better way to keep power over others, eh?

Yep, Keith is la grandioso narcissist.

Usually, they’re just garden variety abusers, but Keith did those guys one better when he snagged the Bronfman money.

I wonder.  What is it Clare and Sara really get/got out of NXIVM and knowing Keith?

I would love to get inside their head.