Narcissistic collapse is rarely documented in real time. Most narcissists, when exposed, scramble to regain control, deploying gaslighting, deflection, and counterattacks to preserve their fragile self-image. Some retreat into silence, waiting for their smear campaigns to take effect. Others, like Joel Johnson, self-destruct in public—unraveling in a desperate attempt to control a narrative that has already slipped beyond their grasp.

This case study is a post-mortem of that unraveling. It serves as a permanent record of a narcissist’s breakdown, analyzed through established psychological frameworks on narcissistic injury, collapse, and extinction bursts. Johnson’s words and behaviors—preserved in his own frenzied messages—align precisely with the known patterns of narcissistic defense mechanisms, escalation tactics, and ultimate implosion.

This is what happens when a narcissist faces the one thing they cannot manipulate: the mirror.

For a narcissist, there is no greater threat than documented evidence of their behavior. The moment they lose control over how they are perceived, their identity begins to crack. Heinz Kohut (1972) described this as a "disintegration of the self-structure," a moment when the narcissist’s grandiosity collides with an unalterable reality.

For Joel Johnson, this disintegration began when he was presented with evidence of his manipulative behaviors in a public forum. His immediate response was textbook DARVO—Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender (Freyd, 1997). In a desperate bid to reassert control, he attempted to reframe his exposure as an unjust attack:

"Mark, that’s some crazy shit. Research and a list of names that includes me. You did some work. Besides being slander and libel, it’s actually full-scale madness. I’m going to be filing some paperwork soon."

The mere existence of a documented case study—an immutable record—was enough to send Johnson spiraling. Without control over the narrative, he resorted to threats of legal action, a common narcissistic tactic used to intimidate critics into silence (Gabbard, 2009). But when threats fail, escalation is inevitable.

Unable to silence his critics, Johnson turned to a more desperate strategy: manufacturing outrage. This phase aligns with what Otto Kernberg (1975) identified as "primitive defenses"—mechanisms narcissists use when their grandiose self-image is threatened. Johnson attempted to recruit others into his fight, weaponizing social capital in an effort to reframe himself as the true victim.

"We’re gonna find out soon. I’ve already begun notifying them."

This was classic triangulation—the narcissist’s attempt to enlist “flying monkeys” to fight their battles for them (Vaknin, 1999). However, in Johnson’s case, this strategy backfired. His obsessive need to dominate the narrative only highlighted the very patterns of behavior he was attempting to deny.

His rhetoric became increasingly erratic, shifting from self-righteous declarations to overt intimidation. He falsely claimed that “concerned groups” were preparing legal action, implying that a coordinated effort was underway to deplatform his critic. This tactic is well-documented in narcissistic abuse research—when direct manipulation fails, the narcissist will attempt to invoke institutional authority as a final grasp at power (Ronningstam & Maltsberger, 1998).

The final stage of Johnson’s collapse was marked by full-blown obsession. Rather than disengage, he spiraled further, compulsively responding to every public challenge, documenting his own meltdown in real time.

This self-sabotaging behavior aligns with what Gabbard (2009) described as "narcissistic annihilation"—a phenomenon in which the narcissist, unable to reconcile their public exposure with their self-perception, begins to self-destruct. Johnson’s words became paradoxical: he denounced his exposure while amplifying it himself.

"You keep a list of people—mementos of your power over and connection to your victims. You are DARVO, the true bully expert, just equipped with AI to help you bully."

Here, Johnson unknowingly confessed to his own behavior. His attempt to project his tactics onto his critic only reinforced the truth: he was the one keeping lists, he was the one engaging in DARVO, and he was the one obsessed with maintaining dominance.

Joel Johnson’s collapse is a testament to a fundamental truth about narcissism: when they lose control of the narrative, they cease to exist.

Unlike other forms of deception, narcissistic abuse relies on the manipulation of perception. A narcissist’s power is not inherent—it is borrowed from those who believe their version of events. The moment that illusion is shattered, their influence collapses.

This case study stands as a record of that collapse. Johnson’s words, preserved and documented, are not just evidence of his unraveling; they are a warning to others. His downfall was not unique. It followed the same patterns, the same defenses, the same inevitable spiral that all exposed narcissists eventually face.

And in the end, his own reflection was his undoing.

For the full archive of Johnson’s public statements, preserved for transparency and accountability, see Preliminary Case Study: Joel Johnson and the Tactics of Performative Intellectualism (Havens, M., 2025).

Freyd, J. J. (1997). Violations of power, adaptive blindness, and betrayal trauma theory. Feminism & Psychology, 7(1), 22-32.

Gabbard, G. O. (2009). Transference and countertransference in the treatment of narcissistic patients. In E. F. Ronningstam (Ed.), Narcissistic personality disorder: A clinical guide (pp. 113-128). American Psychiatric Publishing.

Havens, M. (2025). Preliminary Case Study: Joel Johnson and the Tactics of Performative Intellectualism. Retrieved from https://mirror.xyz/0x67225d4E2cA041a14168eAf2bF2876b46B22B60c/dHeemhq3omsYOIoD2jrszr_ZG88FOZiCTQh-cRfJKfI.

Kernberg, O. F. (1975). Borderline conditions and pathological narcissism. Jason Aronson.

Kohut, H. (1972). Thoughts on narcissism and narcissistic rage. The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 27(1), 360-400.

Ronningstam, E., & Maltsberger, J. T. (1998). Pathological narcissism and sudden suicide-related collapse. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 28(3), 261-271.

Vaknin, S. (1999). Malignant self-love: Narcissism revisited. Narcissus Publications.

Narcissistic collapse is rarely documented in real time. Most narcissists, when exposed, scramble to regain control, deploying gaslighting, deflection, and counterattacks to preserve their fragile self-image. Some retreat into silence, waiting for their smear campaigns to take effect. Others, like Joel Johnson, self-destruct in public—unraveling in a desperate attempt to control a narrative that has already slipped beyond their grasp.

This case study is a post-mortem of that unraveling. It serves as a permanent record of a narcissist’s breakdown, analyzed through established psychological frameworks on narcissistic injury, collapse, and extinction bursts. Johnson’s words and behaviors—preserved in his own frenzied messages—align precisely with the known patterns of narcissistic defense mechanisms, escalation tactics, and ultimate implosion.

This is what happens when a narcissist faces the one thing they cannot manipulate: the mirror.

For a narcissist, there is no greater threat than documented evidence of their behavior. The moment they lose control over how they are perceived, their identity begins to crack. Heinz Kohut (1972) described this as a "disintegration of the self-structure," a moment when the narcissist’s grandiosity collides with an unalterable reality.

For Joel Johnson, this disintegration began when he was presented with evidence of his manipulative behaviors in a public forum. His immediate response was textbook DARVO—Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender (Freyd, 1997). In a desperate bid to reassert control, he attempted to reframe his exposure as an unjust attack:

"Mark, that’s some crazy shit. Research and a list of names that includes me. You did some work. Besides being slander and libel, it’s actually full-scale madness. I’m going to be filing some paperwork soon."

The mere existence of a documented case study—an immutable record—was enough to send Johnson spiraling. Without control over the narrative, he resorted to threats of legal action, a common narcissistic tactic used to intimidate critics into silence (Gabbard, 2009). But when threats fail, escalation is inevitable.

Unable to silence his critics, Johnson turned to a more desperate strategy: manufacturing outrage. This phase aligns with what Otto Kernberg (1975) identified as "primitive defenses"—mechanisms narcissists use when their grandiose self-image is threatened. Johnson attempted to recruit others into his fight, weaponizing social capital in an effort to reframe himself as the true victim.

"We’re gonna find out soon. I’ve already begun notifying them."

This was classic triangulation—the narcissist’s attempt to enlist “flying monkeys” to fight their battles for them (Vaknin, 1999). However, in Johnson’s case, this strategy backfired. His obsessive need to dominate the narrative only highlighted the very patterns of behavior he was attempting to deny.

His rhetoric became increasingly erratic, shifting from self-righteous declarations to overt intimidation. He falsely claimed that “concerned groups” were preparing legal action, implying that a coordinated effort was underway to deplatform his critic. This tactic is well-documented in narcissistic abuse research—when direct manipulation fails, the narcissist will attempt to invoke institutional authority as a final grasp at power (Ronningstam & Maltsberger, 1998).

The final stage of Johnson’s collapse was marked by full-blown obsession. Rather than disengage, he spiraled further, compulsively responding to every public challenge, documenting his own meltdown in real time.

This self-sabotaging behavior aligns with what Gabbard (2009) described as "narcissistic annihilation"—a phenomenon in which the narcissist, unable to reconcile their public exposure with their self-perception, begins to self-destruct. Johnson’s words became paradoxical: he denounced his exposure while amplifying it himself.

"You keep a list of people—mementos of your power over and connection to your victims. You are DARVO, the true bully expert, just equipped with AI to help you bully."

Here, Johnson unknowingly confessed to his own behavior. His attempt to project his tactics onto his critic only reinforced the truth: he was the one keeping lists, he was the one engaging in DARVO, and he was the one obsessed with maintaining dominance.

Joel Johnson’s collapse is a testament to a fundamental truth about narcissism: when they lose control of the narrative, they cease to exist.

Unlike other forms of deception, narcissistic abuse relies on the manipulation of perception. A narcissist’s power is not inherent—it is borrowed from those who believe their version of events. The moment that illusion is shattered, their influence collapses.

This case study stands as a record of that collapse. Johnson’s words, preserved and documented, are not just evidence of his unraveling; they are a warning to others. His downfall was not unique. It followed the same patterns, the same defenses, the same inevitable spiral that all exposed narcissists eventually face.

And in the end, his own reflection was his undoing.

For the full archive of Johnson’s public statements, preserved for transparency and accountability, see Preliminary Case Study: Joel Johnson and the Tactics of Performative Intellectualism (Havens, M., 2025).

Freyd, J. J. (1997). Violations of power, adaptive blindness, and betrayal trauma theory. Feminism & Psychology, 7(1), 22-32.

Gabbard, G. O. (2009). Transference and countertransference in the treatment of narcissistic patients. In E. F. Ronningstam (Ed.), Narcissistic personality disorder: A clinical guide (pp. 113-128). American Psychiatric Publishing.

Havens, M. (2025). Preliminary Case Study: Joel Johnson and the Tactics of Performative Intellectualism. Retrieved from https://mirror.xyz/0x67225d4E2cA041a14168eAf2bF2876b46B22B60c/dHeemhq3omsYOIoD2jrszr_ZG88FOZiCTQh-cRfJKfI.

Kernberg, O. F. (1975). Borderline conditions and pathological narcissism. Jason Aronson.

Kohut, H. (1972). Thoughts on narcissism and narcissistic rage. The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 27(1), 360-400.

Ronningstam, E., & Maltsberger, J. T. (1998). Pathological narcissism and sudden suicide-related collapse. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 28(3), 261-271.

Vaknin, S. (1999). Malignant self-love: Narcissism revisited. Narcissus Publications.