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[–]72ndGender 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Narcissism is the answer to most questions about human nature.

[–]beermeem 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

Do well to remember where the term “Narcissism” comes from. It is an external observation of leftist pseudoscientism and just another label. It does nothing to address the internal state. “Narcissists” are universally weak and pained people attempting to manipulate their external world because they lack internal strength.

[–]72ndGender 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Now I want to read more about it. And the story of Narcissus since it's been a couple decades.

[–]beermeem 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I'm glad my comment pushed you in that direction. We get bombarded with these pop psychology terms and they all too often offer easy outs. I'm no fan of Scientology but I appreciate that they are the only ones who offer a real critique of modern Psychiatry. While I've certainly been helped by Psychiatrists and Psychologists in my time, all power, imho, must be checked.

Also, while Scientology stole its main concepts, it stole it's main concepts from Charles Berner -- one of the few modern Adepts able to actually give individuals the gift of Enlightenment through his intensive concept of the "dyad."

Freud, of course, invented modern psychiatric concepts of narcissism. Mostly he just liked naming things after Greek myths. All these stories -- Icarus, Sisyphus, Narcissus, etc -- they're warning stories. But told by whom? To whom? And for what reason?

I think that is the thing you picked up on that we all learn to look at more deeply as we age -- that there is an internal component all too often ignored in modern hot takes. It's easy to condemn an external individual as X, Y, or Z. But how does someone who identifies with those traits address them within themselves?

[–]72ndGender 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Solid comment. I agree that psych terms get overused and get grouped in with modern day "intellectual" name calling. Right up there with racist, sexist, anti-semite, etc... True or not, they do this to stifle honest conversation and debate. It's no different than name calling as a kid, but they get to hide being the appearance of criticism instead of deliberate insulting.

And, like you, I have a fuckton of criticism towards modern day psychology/psychiatry. It's just population control and behavior control in the end. Sure, some good things come of it. But I doubt that the average goal is to actually help an individual. My deepest criticism is with marriage counseling, but I won't get into that. Actually, that might be my second deepest criticism. Psychiatrists prescribing meds to people that just need to change their lifestyle or get medical treatment for endocrinological problems is probably number one for me. It's criminal in my mind.