Narcissism, police departments, and the good cop/bad cop pairing
A decade ago or so, my narcissist parents proudly told me and my sister that they were like a good cop/bad cop duo . My father was the bad cop, aggressive, hostile, and ready to blatantly terrorize you; and my mother was the good cop, so calm and superficially kind in comparison to her partner that you don't realize she's just as nasty deep down and feel inclined to trust her (although they framed it in a more flattering way than that). Treating your children like interrogation subjects is certainly an interesting parenting method... But at least growing up in those conditions gave me a perfect understanding of narcissism and abusive behavior within police departments. I remember disliking and distrusting my father starting when I was in preschool. And when I was 9 or 10, I fantasized about him tripping on a rock and dying. (I was always a girlboss deep down.) His level of blatant coldheartedness made it clear that there was no reason for me to like or respect him, but it also...