The Chocolate Cake Model

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One who is narcissistic cares more of what they are obtaining from “the relationship” rather than building a lasting bond with another. Brunell & Campbell (2012) suggested that this manipulation of another person in a relationship assists the narcissistic person “to regulate their narcissistic esteem” (p. 345). Although this concept sounds simplistic, it can take the form of unexpected expressions. When one calls to mind a grandiose person who is married to someone who they consider a ‘trophy spouse,’ the key concept is that the person is primarily fulfilling a perceived need. The person with whom the narcissist is having a relationship could just as easily be an extremely matronly/paternalistic person, similar to one that that they wished was there for them during the narcissistic person’s childhood (*******). However, as relationships there is generally a mutual attraction, one cannot oversimplify such relationships by saying that the narcissistic person manipulated their significant other into a relationship. Brunell and Campbell (2012) used what is called the “chocolate cake model” to explain how people involve themselves in a relationship with a narcissistic person (p. 346). As with a person who decides to eat a chocolate cake, …show more content…

In essence, what Sandage and Moe (2012) refer to as exterior religiosity (e.g. structure, benefit, and gain) are what often attracts narcissists to organized religion. For instance, several religious organizations are comprised of layers of hierarchy in which narcissists can entrench themselves, several church leaders have abused their posts for personal gain, and some organizations offer rewards for the faithful–such as the early Mormon Church’s offer of bigamy, worlds like the Earth for the deceased, and to eventually become god-like when one dies (Young,

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