PREVIOUS : Enablers

2. ENABLERS

3. FLYING MONKEYS

Def: FLYING MONKEYS / APATHS are deliberately recruited by narcissists (N) to be their support staff – surrogates, emissaries, fixers & drones in the N’s network, assigned different roles depending on the the N’s purpose.

☢️ This is one component of N abuse : the main bully can sit hidden in the background, directing the play like an evil spider. That way only their Flying Monkeys (FMs) are  visible, insuring that the N can keep their cruel games going without taking the blame.
FMs make it hard or impossible for the target to figure out who’s actually causing all the trouble. By bringing in auxiliary abusers Ns create intense confusion, which they love to hide behind.

⁍FMs activities are of the same type as those of Energy Vampires, directly derailing their Victim by trying to steal their life-force. But FMs supplement the N’s cruelty-campaigns by proxy. They’re trained or encouraged to use Mind Games, & then sent out after someone the N has targeted to become or to stay their supply-victim.

TERM Source: In the Frank Baum books, Dorothy is sent by the Wizard of Oz to kill the Wicked Witch of the West. She wants to stop Dorothy, but also determined to steal the girl’s magical SIVER shoes, thinking they’ll add to her power. Fortunately, the little girl is protected by a kiss placed on her forehead by the Good Witch of the North.

The bad Witch goes after the girl, her dog & the 3 friends she met along the way. She uses various animals at her command, including a gang of flying monkeys in thrall to a golden Magic Hat in the Witch’s possession.
The FMs grab Dorothy & take her back to the castle, where’s she’s temporarily imprisoned to be made into a slave.
Fortunately, because the Witch’s evil ways have totally dried her up – when she tries to steal the Silver Shoes – Dorothy throws some water at her, & she melts completely away.

❗️Unfortunately, narc-victims have no such useful water, & Ns do not shrivel up & die!

WHO: FMs can be older children needing to avoid being targeted themselves, manipulated by one N parent against their mate. They can also be an Adult-Child sent to badger a Recovering sibling back into ‘the fold’.

However, most are mean spirited, very jealous adults, or severely dysfunctional members of the N’s family, as well as active addicts &/or criminals.
These people are invested in believing the lies that justify the main abuser’s actions (parent, mate, boss, cult or gang leader….), especially when aimed at a scapegoated child , or at an adult the N wants to punish.

Inside the family, children betrayed by the Enabling parent often find it harder to accept & forgive that one, rather than the overtly abusive N, because the Enabler is supposed to be the “safe” parent who should have protected them .

Worst TYPES
FM-Narcissists – They can be in a group or a specific person, part of an elitist N hierarchy whose members believe they’re superior to everyone else. They can show Belonging by supporting another N’s sick games in exchange for receiving desired favors from their Brethren.
EXPs: cliques, fraternities, gangs, sororities; racial superiority, sexism, tribalism…

Scandalmongers – These FMs are the sadists who enjoy destroying others, getting a thrill from the brutality of scapegoating. Done without conscience, their antisocial behavior is meant to silence the Victim. After the N has callously devaluated or discarded the target, this FM will pretend sympathy for & solidarity with them. BUT – anything the target confides will immediately be taken back to the N, who’ll use it to cause the victim more pain.

If the recruiting N has a high enough status, this FM will dispense with all subtlety & go for the jugular, gleefully participating in the N’s smear campaign to assassinate the victim’s character

Psychopath – the most dangerous FMs, they’re hired by the N to play the role of Enforcer. They know exactly what the N is doing to the target and know it’s not deserved – but have no objection. Their job is to bully, harass, slander, smear, stalk & maybe physically assault the target. They do it for enough money, & because they like the ‘work’. (Modified from “Narcissistic Abuse Rehab”)

NEXT: Flying Monkeys #2