It may seem somewhat odd to talk about "group narcissism," or it may be that there's another, more specific term that would fit the ideas (e.g., tribalism, ethnocentrism) I'm discussing here. However, we'll stick to narcissism for the time being in reconsidering two works on our list: The Oedipus and the Apology of Socrates . In each of these, intellectual power is the point of focus. In the Oedipus , the main character self-identifies as the most intelligent person in the community. His intellectual arrogance is powerful enough to turn his opinion of anyone who challenges him into raw hatred (especially Tiresias and Creon). His intellectual challengers always seem to suggest one thing, basically -- to have a healthy dose of skepticism, not to be absolutely sure that your opinions are, in fact, knowledge. The action of the play is how Oedipus' intellectual arrogance turns back upon itself, revealing him as not only the most poisonous man in Thebes, but also o...