A recent study in the British Journal of Social Psychology offers new insights into why some people view their political opponents in dehumanizing ways. The researchers found that political narcissism, rather than political identification alone, is strongly linked to seeing outgroups as less human. Both liberals and conservatives are susceptible to this behavior when their connection to their political group is driven by a sense of grandiosity and insecurity. Political polarization has become a significant problem in many democracies worldwide, leading to greater hostility between political factions. This growing division often results in negative partisanship, where people express stronger dislike for opposing political groups than positive feelings toward their own. Scholars have long debated whether conservatives or liberals are more prone to such biases, but this study aimed to shift the focus from ideological differences to the nature of how individuals identify with their political groups. Specifically, the researchers wanted to explore whether political narcissism, rather than political identification itself, leads to the dehumanization of political opponents. “We were intrigued by how both liberals/Democrats and …