Narcissism
Narcissism
Noun
immoderate indulgence & grandiose admiration of one’s individuality.
“the disease of our kind”
“The root of humanly caused evil is not man’s animal nature, not territorial aggression, or innate selfishness, but our need to gain self-esteem, deny our morality, and achieve a heroic self-image” – Ernest Becker
Zephyr, the epitome of egocentric. One might say he/she is malignant, vulnerable, grandiose, or communal – or it could be different forms/semblance of the same disease engendering a multifaceted personality.
Who is Zephyr? No. The better question is “Who are Zephyr”. That would be the subject matter of this composition.
MALIGNANT – THE IMPETUOUS CHARACTER
sadistic, & disruptive
The rival character of the satirical humble one, or as this composition states, THE EXHIBITIONISTIC CHARACTER. Imagine those friends that enjoy taking people down using dismay and affective or hostile aggression.
“I didn’t intentionally hurt …”, “They had to be put in their place …”, “I could hurt you if I wanted to”. Sadistic tendencies can be associated with aggressive behaviour. Zephyr in this character/state oppresses “the weak” (you are the weak) to feel better or for the excitement it presents. Aggression and sadistic behaviours tie into a cycle of violence.
To truly understand this character, you have to realise there is a positive feeling that links aggression and sadism: pleasure. This is where psychology and affective science comes in. One could say this is some sort of cause-and-effect exemplar; while one studies the conscious and unconscious phenomena of the mind and behaviour, the other is the scientific study of emotion or affect. Without the positive feelings factor, the chain reaction would cease to exist, and Zephyr would not be considered narcissistic but maybe psychopathic.
“That’s a bit far-fetched?” How? Many integrant constitute to being a psychopath but some factors play a more important role than others. For example, Nihilism (extreme pessimism about morals and values supporting the belief that life in itself is baseless) is more important than the fulfilment (positive feeling) because Nihilism is the danger factor in every individual. But that’s a topic for another day.
VULNERABLE – THE COVERT CHARACTER
introverted & fragile
Less conspicuous to the malignant narcissists, Zephyr in this character feels victimised and depressed whenever people fail to aggrandise his/her ego through compliments and acknowledgement. They often seek out adulation from others through
excessive generosity, just to receive the approbation to fuel their self-worth. Depriving them of such compliments “I love when you advise me”, “you’re the best”, etc., is synonymous to throwing rocks at their contrived statue of vanity. Like the grandiose narcissist, the vulnerable narcissist feels superior to the mass but differ because they keep their credence to themselves.
Vulnerable narcissists are highly sensitive people, but their feelings do not extend to those of others. They personalise the slightest emotional reaction from others, reversing it and making it all about them. In extreme cases, their mood swings are similar to that of a Borderline Personality Disorder and they might threaten to self-harm, but this performance is nothing but a deceptive move for receiving the attention they “deserve”. That is the façade of the covert character.
GRANDIOSE – THE EXHIBITIONISTIC CHARACTER
classic & exhibitionistic
This character is inherent in the current definition of narcissism; this is the person that comes to your mind when you think, “narcissist”. They often have an inflated state of superiority but ironically are desperate for the feeling of importance from others. Because of their over-confidence in their dominance and self-worth, they tend to be sceptical of opinion from others-tuning out alternative approaches. If it isn’t their way, then it is flawed. Their grandiose cosmic significance is their main motivation to socialise.
COMMUNAL – THE WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING
cooperative & trustworthy
“we are hopelessly absorbed with ourselves. If we care about anyone, it is usually ourselves first of all” – Sigmund Freud.
I think of the wolf in sheep’s clothing when I think of this phrase. This character has grandiose views as being the most caring and trustworthy. It is somewhat difficult to point out a communal narcissist, as they take a different approach to self-glorification. They appear very cooperative and trustworthy, as they are involved in causes that will “help others” and “better the society” but when you look deeper into their character, the truth reveals itself. Their absence of self-image drives them into seeking validation from communal acts. Whether it is committing to others, giving to charity, or simply listening to others, Zephyr in this state is much more focused on the acknowledgement received that the cause that will “change the world”.
It is impossible to expatiate on the heroic form (Narcissism) that we human beings embody for this is one of the many problems of life. If only we could be unconscious of our mental values (e.g., jealously, envy, etc.) and the sans pareil mentality, maybe then we would reach the first step of egality.