Domestic industry has been substantially gutted/outsourced.
The roles of church and community organizations have been eroded.
Populations have been made subject to quarantines at the whim of the state.
When all these contacts; and activities that involve body, mind, and grasp of reality; are stripped away, what is left but self?
Then throw in a pop culture that caters to our infantilism, consumerism, and preoccupation with our own needs. Narcissism as a widespread phenomenon would seem a predictable result.
Perhaps back in the day, many moons ago, the widely acknowledged belief in God, the Highest Power over all forms of life, provided a cushion against narcissism. Perhaps also, Christendom provided a cover for those that used it to pacify their subjects as they ruled over them. Without a deity, other forms of worship are certain take hold. Is it government, political party, or self?
"Narcissus, wearied with hunting in the heat of the day, lay down here: for he was attracted by the beauty of the place, and by the spring. While he sought to quench his thirst, another thirst grew in him, and as he drank, he was enchanted by the beautiful reflection that he saw. He fell in love with an insubstantial hope, mistaking a mere shadow for a real body. Spellbound by his own self, he remained there motionless, with fixed gaze, like a statue carved from Parian marble."
How will historians describe early 21st century American society that participates in On-Line Narcissistic Self-Victimization? Will they elaborate on an experiment gone wrong like a Kurt Vonnegut storyline where We the People live in cages while the criminals/devils dance in debauchery and decadence (think Sodom and Gomorrah)? Yikes! We better steer this Ship around before she sinks like the Titanic.
Add to that modern world, a flood of social workers (2000s) in public schools & nursing homes, along with a medical community who no longer value the Hippocratic Oath (even the revised one from the 1960s getting rid of the pro-life language).
Then, the social workers recommended therapists who recommend treatment, which would be drugs because everyone has a chemical brain imbalance from “childhood trauma.” [Kids from the American Dream era used to run off and play Kick the Can or ride their bike to erase their trauma.]
We live in an era where Drs. prescribe dangerous drugs marketed to consumers (!!!!) for big pharma and the medical industrial complex to make mega bucks. Cha-ching. No wonder society has gone Mad!
I agree 💯. There's a lot of money to be made in the "medical" industry which fixes nothing, but extends the warranty in order to keep you coming back. I think you nailed it.
I don't know why people become trolls, although I suspect a lot of them are paid operatives, however, I do know one rule for dealing with them: Don't feed the trolls!
"This type of Trollery can be very destructive, and so it is no surprise that people with this category of personality disorder are actively sought out by corporate, government, “intelligence” or military PsyWar/Cognitive warfare sponsors seeking to sow discord or promote hate against targeted individuals or groups."
My husband and I were sued by a Tyrannical Victim Narcissist. Her whole case was based on lies and false evidence. Even though we had literal proof of her committing fraud and lying in discovery, she never owned up to anything. She stalked me on social media, found out who my friends were and subpoenaed them even though they had nothing to do with the case - just to embarrass me. All supported by her wealthy family. We could not understand how someone could be so evil with no personal responsibility - until I started researching Narcissistic Personality Disorders. I realized she was not going to stop and we had another year before our case went to trial. We ended up settling. Our lawyer said that even though we were clearly the victims, we should have just paid her off and gotten her out of our life. I could go on and on, but the moral of the story is, never go up against one of these parasites in court . I almost had a nervous breakdown. And oh yes, she is a bigwig at a private investment firm!
One of my friends has become a professional victim. It's her identity now. All she talks about are 1) how she's not treated well by her employer, and 2) her various aliments, medications, medical appointments, and psychotherapy sessions.
This person was not like this prior to Covid.
I'm maintaining the friendship, but I find this person's behavior very unattractive.
just say, forgive me for not participating in your delusions,
now, how about a cup of coffee.
my wife got TDS after 2016, it is diffi cult. She even created her own imaginary math to prove her delusions, that we paid more taxes after the Trump tax cuts (when I tried to show her the IRS math, she screamed fuck you at me)
not sure I can spend my last years of life with another delusion hateful bitch (she used to be the smartest person I knew)
the bizarre part, is I believe she is a democrat in word only, Her dad was a pathetic dim acolyte.
All of her actions say conservative. All the time. Even my son, who is a centrist., with conservative leanings', is puzzled by her words and her actions.
TDS infected most of my family in 2016 - tho hard, I did what I could to maintain some semblance of comity (despite the rampant 💩💩 comedy). Similarly, my sister moaned&groaned about how her taxes went thru the roof under President Trump (<- my identifier, not hers). Yet, in her remonstrations, she failed to mention the two large raises she received from her very large multinational corporation under the amazingly good President Trump economy.
When 💩 💩 head was elected, my brother pointed out the numerous deficiencies 💩 💩 head brought to the office of President - he was told that if he couldn’t get on board with the sainted 💩 💩 head he could leave the group and … - well, he shut up, I left.
TDS is a terrible thing to witness, I wonder how many family relationships ever “healed” after the War Between the States. Personally, I am in a much better place once I realized boundaries can be/are a good thing.
My buddy, a life long rational democrat, visited after the 2016 election, and said "they moved the tent".
Ken is still an old time democrat, but the party went off the left cliff. He used to be high up in the local Buncombe Dim party, but they asked him to leave when he could not bring himself to participate in the insanity.
He still has a couple of democrat friends, but those "moderates" are just as pedopathic as the vermin.
I stopped voting for any democrat after 2018.
I am still optimistic, Scott Adams points out humans are very good at fixing slow moving disasters, and the democrat party is one big huge slow moving disaster.
In 1860 it actually divided into Northern and Southern Democrats. Each fielded a Presidential candidate. The Republicans won. The Northern Democrat candidate, Steven Douglas, debated Lincoln at the Cooper Union Library in NYC and managed a horrific gaffe in defending the Northern Dems neutralist policy on Slavery: "Not one man in twenty actually thinks for himself". Lincoln's Wide-Awakes, sort of the MAGA of the day, were quick to point out that Douglas' reasoning had been used by various British nobles to make white Irishmen into slaves (usually by convicting them of some real or imagined offense in kangaroo court) and put them on ships to wherever their Empire needed labor (frequently building roads to Australia's gold fields, hence the name). In the process, Mr Douglas validated Mr Lincoln's main theme: Democratic processes cannot work, where most people are excluded from them. If you cannot win your argument with big words from books, rephrase it so a farmer who flunked out of the Fourth Grade and never touched a book again except on Sundays, knew what the learned attorneys were arguing about. Lincoln had won court cases that way his entire career, by teaching jurors what a case was about. Douglas had just moved the Northern Dems' tent to the precipice, and the Southern Dems fell off the cliff into the insanity of Victory Or Secession. LDS brought us to civil war and 600,000 deaths later, the Rebel government abandoned their capital in Richmond. Lee's army surrendered at Apommatox, and some weeks later Michigan's 4th Cavalry Regiment arrested Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Georgia with 14 wagon loads of gold, silver and gems withdrawn from the Confederate treasury. Davis' apparent goal was to help fund Mexico's dictator Maximillian in his continuing fight, begun by previous dictator Santa Anna, against pro-Democracy forces who comprised the majority of the population but were unarmed. Under Davis, Southern Democrats had truly become the anti-democracy party in a classic act of projection.
here are some more parallels to the democrat vermin of 1860, with the democrat vermin of today
Plantations
Historic, and todays Democrats
Prior to 1860, Democrats worked hard to keep their slaves ignorant, pregnant, and on the plantation. While they did not overtly separate black families, they did separate them anytime it was expedient for profit.
During the Democrats Jim Crow KKK years, miraculously, the black families actually grew and prospered despite the systemic racism the Democrats had placed into law. Blacks were getting better educations, despite the Democrats segregation. There was only about a 20 percent single parent population in the black community. Even under the Democrats Jim Crow, the black populations in prison were much lower
Then the Republicans stopped the Democrats Jim Crow, and eventually made the Democrats Klan ineffective at harming or violating the black population.
Then LBJ (another democrat) created the welfare state . From 1968, to now, the black prison population has tripled. The Democrats complain about racial disparity in our prisons. Almost all of those blacks were put in prisons in a democrat-controlled city, by a democrat DA.
The single parent numbers in black families is now 70 percent, and the biggest indicator of poverty or incarceration is being raised in a single parent family.
The democrats complain that our schools are failing the black students. The Democrats control, and have for the past 40 years, controlled most of the public schools in these cities.
The black population was increasing under the Democrats Jim Crow laws, yet after forty years of Democrat coontrol, it is shrinking.
The Democrats Klan lynched approx. 40500 blacks over 100 years. The Klan is very proud of "Klanned Parenthood", who have lynched over 19 million black babies, in the womb, and got the mothers to help. Now these vermin chop up the healthy body parts of mentally ill children.
Democrats have not changed much since their KKK/Jim Crow days. They just got more evil. Today their Plantations are called, Chicago Portland, Atlanta, etc.
And the leftist propaganda machine, IE mainstream news, is just lying to so many gullible idiots, that this will probably get worse before it gets better.
Democrats have not really changed at all since 1860.
Grandpa was Marxist, dad a socialist/socialist-demonrat, or whatever title would be appropriate; I fell off the tree and rolled quite a spell. I won’t confess my last demonrat vote, but I will say I am blessed that it wasn’t consequential.
When 💩 💩 head’s handler was running for president in ‘07, maybe when he won the title POTUS, I had a long distance convo with dad that quickly devolved. I suspect dad had been a bit deep into his nightcap but when I pointed out the failings of his sainted 💩 💩 head ( 💩 💩 head Prime?), dad went off on a vitriolic shouting/screaming tirade that I was concerned I would have to apologize to my neighbors later - at the time, nearest neighbor was over a football field away 🤷♀️.
We didn’t communicate again for at least a couple years - yeah, I was the first to make contact.
🤔 don’t think dad had a chance to vote against President Trump before he died in 2015. Yeah, Yeah - whenever has a death certificate stopped a demonrat, esp in WA state 😂
Anyway, I live in one of the few demonrat cities in Montana, went to law school where&when my constitutional conservatism was gelling/forming, so I’ve had a ring side seat observing this schism rending America from both sides of the arena and in academia, professional and intimate relationships.
Back in the dating game (don’t judge: I’m not dead and I AM looking age appropriate - but I do have the little red "sports car" 😊), this schism is definitely a factor in the dating pool - esp considering my location 🤣.
Hey, Almost bought a place in Haywood county, Maggie Valley, a few years back - county to the west from Buncombe. Nice house on 11ac of farmland. Bought my little red sports car up in Blacksburg, VA, and still think of myself as an Appalachia hillbilly (with what must be a Midwest dialect by now).
In the nursing field, I was seeing some of this insanity from social workers back in the 80s, I had no idea that the rabid insane vermin would take over, big surprise
Maggie Valley is awesome, I do not believe they allow leftist vermin to live in the city limits ;-}
Sports car sounds great. When I divorced, I started dating a young lady, just 2 years younger than me, she looked 20 years younger, and had a Mazda Miata. Without the expense and hassle (of dating young stupid people) I was living the mid life crisis dream.
Tragically, that was the young lady that got TDS in 2016. Thank god that happened after our son (1st for both) was old enough, and inoculated against the leftist vermin.
When I was screeching online about the leftist vermin in Charlotte passing a law allowing men to use the little girls room, he asked what was going on. I told him, and at 13, he was inoculated. He said, "dad, that's not a gender issue, that's a genitalia issue".
I was so proud.
I identify as......
Appalachian American.
Its not to late to move. The weather here keeps getting better. Thank GOD for global warming.
My newest plan is to keep my mouth shut about the insane democrat vermin.
It seems to be working, a lot less hateful bitch coming my way, now.
Its a hard lesson, but attacking the delusions of loved ones tends to backfire, despite any hopes of rationality.
My wife is very smart, and if I do NOT give her something to use to maintain her delusions, I am hopeful she will figure it our herself.
Therapy is useless, she does not even recognize any fantasy thinking on her part (she has been a psych nurse for 40 years, like me, and man, pysch nurses are sick puppies, albeit functional).
If you give delusional people something to push back against, they get sicker and more entrenched. If they have nothing to push against, eventually, their delusions fall over. Hopefully.
On made-up math: Many years ago my professor in a Probability and Statistics course assigned us to pick a relevant topic and write about it for 10% of our grade. The topic I chose was a woman who stabbed her husband for discovering that her gambling addiction had made them nearly bankrupt.
Her assertion was that she had a telepathic superpower that enabled her to predict the results of gambling games, in particular the state lottery.
So using her own statements as to how much money she won, I calculated out what a person guessing randomly would have won. She lost 20% more money on the lottery with her "system", than a random guesser would have lost.
Her desire to win the argument ("My system works!") exceeded her curiosity over learning the truth.
Amongst other relationships to avoid forming with the pathological narcissist, is any work or business relationship in which the narcissist handles money. Any losing streak once begun by such a person, continues until all funds are exhausted, and then you will finally learn the news that the money is gone.
dear god preaching to the choir. My first wife, who had an occasional part time job, and felt like she did most of the contributing to our home back then, was completely delusional about money. She actually believed that she could spend money to save money. Tragically, that ended up being us buying cheap crap at a yard sale, storing it for 3 years, then re selling it at a loss.
What is bizarre, about my wife now, she is the most fiscally conservative person I ever met, and is also a social conservative (one reason we have two houses, paid for). How in the hell she has been voting democrat all her life just illustrates how so many intelligent people can choose to be so willfully stupid. Just bizarre. Being in the cult kind of explains some of that behavior.
Hey guys, I have anew theory about Repugs and Dims.
The good Dr already knows this. I learned this from Dr Peterson.
Women tend to value the spoken and written word way more than actions.
Men tend to value actions over any word.
This is why men watch porn, and women read it (bizarre how 50 Shades of Gray, a bondage masochistic novel, degrading women, that was number one during the height of the ME TOO movement)
This also explains why so many women will stay with the guy that beats the shit out of them regularly, because they "say" they will do better.
Now look at Democrats. They tend to value what the democrat vermin say, and ignore their actions that cause so much harm.
Repubs tend to look at the actions, and ignore the speech.
And now I give you Trump, whose actions were pretty damn good, and all the democrat idiots could do was whine about what he said.
It seems, the Democrat party is the ex wife of America, and the Repub party is the dad.
Perhaps if the Repubs started saying pretty things to the idiot democrats, they might change their little minds. Which they have been doing lately, which kind of pisses off repubs.
Dilemma.
Anyway, that's my new theory.
Now, off to worship Caffeinopec, the Aztec god of Coffee.
My wife's best childhood friend spends every freaking waking moment talking about her ailments, going to the doctor, and not spending any time doing anything productive because of her health ailments.
You're 58 year old woman. You weigh 300 lbs. Your legs are swollen trunks of bloodied, oozing flesh, and your entire existence is spent complaining about how you simply can't lose weight, you can't get outside, you can't see your own toes. Your life revolves around how often you're sick, can't get out of bed, have lost your voice, and feel horrible, and yet again, you will do NOTHING TO FIX THIS.
Why are you this way ? BECAUSE YOU CHOOSE TO BE THIS WAY.
I've had enough of the "oh woe is me" crap, and my suggestion is that if your life sucks so bad, why not move to Canada. I hear they have some really good programs set up for folks who wallow in their own pity.
These folks live to embrace the question; "Why am I always the victim". The real question is; "Why am I always a volunteer"? They suit up and show up for their own misery.
If we volunteer for a "poor me pity party", it is our responsibility to STOP IT!
Thought you made a long comment. Was wanting to read it and my connection went down. When I re-establish it and more seemed gone. Went through several times sans success. Wanted you to know you and your views are appreciated. Hoping tomorrow will restore success. Take care.
Oh the joys of Morbid Obesity. Never knew what it was, till it was too late. The adjustable gastric bands have done wonders for so many. I recommend them to anyone that is serious about solving big weight issues, before it brings on heart failure in oneself and heartache throughout an entire family. Don’t feed Trolls.
Sometimes we have to be kicked in the face a few times before we realize something so obvious, it hurts when we find out that what we were doing was wrong.
For example.
My wife and I just bought a new place, affectionately known as the "shit shack", in another state. This is our "get away from the shithole" place we currently reside in. I would never come back here if it wasn't for the ball and chain making me do so, each time we head to the shack.
So, the 250' driveway was not really maintained well, and full of holes and a bit muddy. Since we just dumped a bunch on the purchase, I wanted to save a few bucks, and since I'm still mentally 17 years old, I had 4 tons of stone dumped on the property, and instead of working smart, I used my 4 decades of body building muscles to move about 250 full wheel barrows all up and down the drive, to fill in the dual lines to the house. Little did I realize that my already damaged spine was about to give me the big middle finger.
So a few weeks go by, and some really odd sensations has me at my primary who says "you have a DRE today, and I think a prostatitis, and it's time for some antibiotics. So few weeks go by, nothing changes, and back at the doc. All my 400 blood tests came back normal, so she says I need a colonoscopy, and maybe an MRI of my kidneys, as well as go see another urologist for another opinion. So I go see the urologist, who nearly kills me with his DRE, and I think I've had enough doctors for a while. Procrastinated as usual.
Canceled the colonoscopy, and spent some time in the gym, just stretching. Well I started to notice that when I stretched, I could alter the sensations I was having. I went to visit a chiro and told him my symptoms, and he says "You need a lower lumber MRI, NOW !". With the blank, scared paleface look on his face, I agreed.
The next morning, 6 am, and $500 out of pocket (only way to get it done fast), it turns out that I had damaged my spine from S1 to L1 over the years, and that 4 tons of stone moving around was the point of notification that you are "no longer 17 years old, you dumbass !"
So here I am, years later, after beating the snot out of myself, barely able to lift a case of bottled water in order to avoid these symptoms from getting any worse. I'm in the gym for a half hour every morning, doing these 8 specialized stretching exercises, and back again at night doing the exact same 8 exercises. No more lifting. No more bodybuilding with weights. Those days are over, and yes, it's too late to realize just how damaged I could make myself if I just tried hard enough.
Appreciate your situation. It is VERY aggravating to Go For/To folks to be hamstrung. Wishing you success in restoring your functionalities. Working along those lines myself. It sure does take resolve.
I've been super dedicated to these stretching exercises, but they're not the end all, nor will they fix me. They're just relieving some of the tension the body puts on damaged joints, when it realizes something isn't right.
Not sure where I'm eventually going to be with this problem, but no matter what I have to do, I will. Anything is better than going under the knife.
T, Have you looked into acupuncture? It can be very effective with many issues. Seeing a chiro. on a regular basis is also complementary. Beating the "snot" out yourself is understandable, but some visualizing for your spine is better. I know, woo woo, but you know me... oh, and my weight lifting husband and I have a "Teeter" machine, an inversion that stretches the spine gently. Anytime my spine feels tight I "hang" a little.
Deep and wide topic. Skipping the details of a personal experience with an ASPD (anti social personality disorder) I did a deep dive into psychopathy about 10 years ago. I started by reading Dr. Robert Hare's book - Without Conscience The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. And, no according to Dr. Hare based on 30 plus years of work, psychopaths cannot be changed/cured. They have miswired brains. I see the complex fleshly human side to this, personality type, upbringing, etc., as well as the more simple spiritual side, i.e. demons locked into the weakness of the human, convincing him that he is a god.
That said, I see all sorts of reasons both worldly and spiritual that have caused a significant rise in narcissism and, ironically, how these types are compelled to rise to power, whether in an HOA or Congress.
My personal solution when encountering a passive/aggressive, narcissist is to ignore him/her. This does cause their heads to spin but my life long philosophy allows that I cannot be offended by anyone, without my permission, meaning I have to care what they think. I rarely do.
Yes, it’s very hard living with these types of demons. I’ve shut the door on a few and have no regrets whatsoever. Very sad but the abuse they inflict is intolerable and I deserve better.
Someone close to me was abused as a child and fits this personality description perfectly. She doesn't troll me but when I reach out, I get only hurt and recrimination. Thank you for explaining this syndrome so well Dr. Malone. I know she is damaged. I am left with prayer, the best thing anyway.
I can relate to that. My highly intelligent with little common sense older brother whom I fled sorry for from the time I was 8 years old came to live with me after living with a younger brother. I thought he could get a job with the State. He told me about the three things I had done for him in the 1960s and how he felt sorry for us siblings because he was dad’s favorite. I know he was when he was the only child, but when the next three arrived it was obvious there were no favorites. The incessant questions meant to provoke made life difficult. His political belief system was antithetical to mine. He said he was too sick to work and started seeing more than one doctor with numerous complaints. He was getting multiple prescriptions and eventually had a massive brain bleed. His daughter came with her husband. Ten days in the hospital and she okayed removal of life support. Some years before they had had a falling out. He was only 65.
I had no idea when I asked him to come stay with me that living with my other brother was causing him marital problem as there had been confrontation with his wife. I wonder if it is a misery loves company so making others miserable is the only option.
I had a 'friend' at work who spent hours dumping on me.
Terrible childhood - Mother said (and acted out) child made her suicidal.
Wanted pet. Got her cat. Returned cat as too friendly
Wanted pet. Got basengi and locked it in a cage
Wanted husband. Got husband and reported making him cry.
Wanted baby. I suggested she reflect on realities of parenting (diapers, crying, sicknesses and other demanding concerns.
She said I was evil trying to undermine her recovery and departed from our relationship. IMO her getting a baby as related to her experiences could be devastating for said infant.
I felt relieved not to deal with this juncture in her life.
I know it's not for everyone, but I disentangled myself from all social media (except substack!) several years ago, and it has been nothing but terrific. 👍🏼
I never have done much with social media. I have a Facebook page only so I can stay in contact with my many friends from years past who I met when I was working and living overseas. I only have them for friends and family and the number is limited. I've never paid any attention to anything else or any ads on FB. Other than occasionally looking at FB to see what friends are doing, I read a few Substacks and a couple of other similar websites like Victor Davis Hanson's, and that's it. I can't imagine how people seem to live looking at their phones constantly. It's messed up.
I remember back in about 2010 I was up in Squaw Valley skiing, up on top of the mountain surrounded by incredible views and sitting in a little cafe there sipping tea. I became aware of a group of 4 or 5 20-somethings at a nearby table, and found it so odd that instead of laughing and talking and having fun in this beautiful spot, they were all staring silently at their phones like zombies and not talking to each other at all. It seemed so weird, like they were mesmerized. I wondered where that was going lead to, but never imagined it as it has turned out now. It seems like the phones hypnotize people.
I came to the conclusion that the mutton crew lead troll & sheep farmer & failed scientist, GB was "chosen" for his special characteristics. The same attributes that led to the academy rejecting him as an employee had the government hire him as an X troll. This article describes him perfectly (and a former friend of mine.)
Two of my nephews are on the spectrum (two different families) but one of them has this precise personality disorder. He has more Aspergers issues than the other lad, but he's very, very intelligent.
He has absolutely no empathy. It seems to me that the cabal are hiring these individuals for these characteristics. So, they vaccinate them into brain damage & then hire them to do more damage, later in life. The irony is almost overwhelming.
This is an excellent summation of whats happening psychologically in western culture today.
I believe there is a pandemic of narcissism globally. Since the introduction of the I Phone in 2007, phones are the pond we stare into and see ourselves in. Children have this reinforced by mimicking parents who are cultivating and curating their IMAGE every hour of every day. We have had over 20 years of this. The historic routes once taken toward self actualization, individuation, self agency have been replaced by the phone and then buried under this tsunami of images and technologies. The phone is my Shepard I shall want infinitely.
Narcs do NOT have Egos and this explains what replaces the Ego and how easily the phone is doing that work for us. Phone technology magnifies the loss of our Genuine Selves and sense of belonging by many orders of magnitude. The result are people (and now ai ) exactly as Dr. Malone describes.
So this is why everyone in my gym is constantly staring, and photographing their own asses in the mirrors?
My wife went into the womens locker room, and a mid 20's female was completely bare ass naked, photographing her own body in the mirror, focusing mostly on her breasts, and ass.
Is this a facebook thing?
(I dont have a FB acct)
Wife couldn't stop telling me how diagusted she felt simply being in the locker room with this girl.
Thank you for the definition of Narcissism. Very well put. I would add that the lack of empathy is a major cause of these characteristics also. Without the ability to have any emotions or feelings regarding how others might be experiencing life, they are all alone without a rudder of any kind! I also appreciate the iPhone as a cause; right on!!!
Interesting topic. My current (used to have or currently have face to face interactions) 'friends' have severe (D/Uber liberal) differences with me. We are both aware and wholly avoid those topics. I do a fair amount of online commenting which seems to be, if anything, positively received. I'm generally trying to support the theme or adding a nuance. Once in a while I will react to a troll. Still trying to perfect that. Mostly no bite backs.
I presume many if not most of us have vulnerabilities in our psyches we are sensitive to. My own experience, it is somewhat helpful to be aware of them. Still, they result in a few reactions 'from the hip' that prove counter productive.
Have been there and experienced a lot of the points raised in this essay. Points well reviewed and taken. Personal (awarness) and growth is the best answer. Thanks so much for the (re)enforcement.
Nice insight Jean. I know that I react differently depending on how invested I am in a topic and in a person. Know thy self is important but difficult in the 'moment'.
Amen! The victim syndrome is ripping America apart.
Losers expect special treatment. DEI -- Didn't Earn It.
Haha.
Didn't Earn It
(I'm stealing this)
Me too.
Re acronyms…driving to h.e.b. yesterday saw a MAGA bumper sticker new to us that gave us a tickle…Moms Against Greg Abbott.
I like that.
MAGA:
Micheal's Amazingly Grateful Audience.
Gotta get me a bumper sticker.
8-)
You are a hoot. Really perk up my day. Thanks.
I wish you lived closer.
I'd bring a few bottles of booze, and we could sit on your patio, and talk about all the great domestic shorthair tabbies we've had.
🤣
‼️‼️‼️
In the modern world,
The traditional family is under attack.
The concept of nation has been undermined.
Domestic industry has been substantially gutted/outsourced.
The roles of church and community organizations have been eroded.
Populations have been made subject to quarantines at the whim of the state.
When all these contacts; and activities that involve body, mind, and grasp of reality; are stripped away, what is left but self?
Then throw in a pop culture that caters to our infantilism, consumerism, and preoccupation with our own needs. Narcissism as a widespread phenomenon would seem a predictable result.
Perhaps back in the day, many moons ago, the widely acknowledged belief in God, the Highest Power over all forms of life, provided a cushion against narcissism. Perhaps also, Christendom provided a cover for those that used it to pacify their subjects as they ruled over them. Without a deity, other forms of worship are certain take hold. Is it government, political party, or self?
"Narcissus, wearied with hunting in the heat of the day, lay down here: for he was attracted by the beauty of the place, and by the spring. While he sought to quench his thirst, another thirst grew in him, and as he drank, he was enchanted by the beautiful reflection that he saw. He fell in love with an insubstantial hope, mistaking a mere shadow for a real body. Spellbound by his own self, he remained there motionless, with fixed gaze, like a statue carved from Parian marble."
Narcissus by the Pool
from Ovid's "Metamorphoses"
Dated 8 CE.
How will historians describe early 21st century American society that participates in On-Line Narcissistic Self-Victimization? Will they elaborate on an experiment gone wrong like a Kurt Vonnegut storyline where We the People live in cages while the criminals/devils dance in debauchery and decadence (think Sodom and Gomorrah)? Yikes! We better steer this Ship around before she sinks like the Titanic.
Add to that modern world, a flood of social workers (2000s) in public schools & nursing homes, along with a medical community who no longer value the Hippocratic Oath (even the revised one from the 1960s getting rid of the pro-life language).
Then, the social workers recommended therapists who recommend treatment, which would be drugs because everyone has a chemical brain imbalance from “childhood trauma.” [Kids from the American Dream era used to run off and play Kick the Can or ride their bike to erase their trauma.]
We live in an era where Drs. prescribe dangerous drugs marketed to consumers (!!!!) for big pharma and the medical industrial complex to make mega bucks. Cha-ching. No wonder society has gone Mad!
I agree 💯. There's a lot of money to be made in the "medical" industry which fixes nothing, but extends the warranty in order to keep you coming back. I think you nailed it.
I don't know why people become trolls, although I suspect a lot of them are paid operatives, however, I do know one rule for dealing with them: Don't feed the trolls!
It's right there in the article:
"This type of Trollery can be very destructive, and so it is no surprise that people with this category of personality disorder are actively sought out by corporate, government, “intelligence” or military PsyWar/Cognitive warfare sponsors seeking to sow discord or promote hate against targeted individuals or groups."
Why do we no longer hear the words “discipline, self control, responsibility, open mindedness, hard work, and fortitude “?
They are haaaaaard!
yes
They're all really long 4 letter words?
I'm not a narcissist. I am just an extremely self-centered person who has an exaggerated sense of self-importance
8-)
😂
My husband and I were sued by a Tyrannical Victim Narcissist. Her whole case was based on lies and false evidence. Even though we had literal proof of her committing fraud and lying in discovery, she never owned up to anything. She stalked me on social media, found out who my friends were and subpoenaed them even though they had nothing to do with the case - just to embarrass me. All supported by her wealthy family. We could not understand how someone could be so evil with no personal responsibility - until I started researching Narcissistic Personality Disorders. I realized she was not going to stop and we had another year before our case went to trial. We ended up settling. Our lawyer said that even though we were clearly the victims, we should have just paid her off and gotten her out of our life. I could go on and on, but the moral of the story is, never go up against one of these parasites in court . I almost had a nervous breakdown. And oh yes, she is a bigwig at a private investment firm!
Been there done that. For some reason in this upside down world, the courts often side with the mentally ill. 😡
I am just a victim of having to live in the uk for now. 🤣🔥🏴☠️, Ed
tragic
I saw that coming back when you guys let your gov disarm you (the victims)
This might be true, but you guys have the best walking postures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNeeovY4qNU
One of my friends has become a professional victim. It's her identity now. All she talks about are 1) how she's not treated well by her employer, and 2) her various aliments, medications, medical appointments, and psychotherapy sessions.
This person was not like this prior to Covid.
I'm maintaining the friendship, but I find this person's behavior very unattractive.
just say, forgive me for not participating in your delusions,
now, how about a cup of coffee.
my wife got TDS after 2016, it is diffi cult. She even created her own imaginary math to prove her delusions, that we paid more taxes after the Trump tax cuts (when I tried to show her the IRS math, she screamed fuck you at me)
not sure I can spend my last years of life with another delusion hateful bitch (she used to be the smartest person I knew)
TDS is a horrible disease.
Perhaps she is just a victim of group think, an outcrop trait of a mentally or emotional need to belong to a group – in a sense, a higher power.
the bizarre part, is I believe she is a democrat in word only, Her dad was a pathetic dim acolyte.
All of her actions say conservative. All the time. Even my son, who is a centrist., with conservative leanings', is puzzled by her words and her actions.
How sad 😔
Sending prayers 🙏
Since I embarked on NOT speaking of democrat evil and insanity at all, she seems to be less mental.
Pluses outweigh the negatives, but man, delusions are tough to live with.
When they turn hateful, got to go.
She still is one of the smartest people I know, but TDS is like rabies.
Inoculation is best, treatment is tough.
TDS infected most of my family in 2016 - tho hard, I did what I could to maintain some semblance of comity (despite the rampant 💩💩 comedy). Similarly, my sister moaned&groaned about how her taxes went thru the roof under President Trump (<- my identifier, not hers). Yet, in her remonstrations, she failed to mention the two large raises she received from her very large multinational corporation under the amazingly good President Trump economy.
When 💩 💩 head was elected, my brother pointed out the numerous deficiencies 💩 💩 head brought to the office of President - he was told that if he couldn’t get on board with the sainted 💩 💩 head he could leave the group and … - well, he shut up, I left.
TDS is a terrible thing to witness, I wonder how many family relationships ever “healed” after the War Between the States. Personally, I am in a much better place once I realized boundaries can be/are a good thing.
Trump 2024, 2025, 2026, …!
My buddy, a life long rational democrat, visited after the 2016 election, and said "they moved the tent".
Ken is still an old time democrat, but the party went off the left cliff. He used to be high up in the local Buncombe Dim party, but they asked him to leave when he could not bring himself to participate in the insanity.
He still has a couple of democrat friends, but those "moderates" are just as pedopathic as the vermin.
I stopped voting for any democrat after 2018.
I am still optimistic, Scott Adams points out humans are very good at fixing slow moving disasters, and the democrat party is one big huge slow moving disaster.
Just like it was in 1860.
In 1860 it actually divided into Northern and Southern Democrats. Each fielded a Presidential candidate. The Republicans won. The Northern Democrat candidate, Steven Douglas, debated Lincoln at the Cooper Union Library in NYC and managed a horrific gaffe in defending the Northern Dems neutralist policy on Slavery: "Not one man in twenty actually thinks for himself". Lincoln's Wide-Awakes, sort of the MAGA of the day, were quick to point out that Douglas' reasoning had been used by various British nobles to make white Irishmen into slaves (usually by convicting them of some real or imagined offense in kangaroo court) and put them on ships to wherever their Empire needed labor (frequently building roads to Australia's gold fields, hence the name). In the process, Mr Douglas validated Mr Lincoln's main theme: Democratic processes cannot work, where most people are excluded from them. If you cannot win your argument with big words from books, rephrase it so a farmer who flunked out of the Fourth Grade and never touched a book again except on Sundays, knew what the learned attorneys were arguing about. Lincoln had won court cases that way his entire career, by teaching jurors what a case was about. Douglas had just moved the Northern Dems' tent to the precipice, and the Southern Dems fell off the cliff into the insanity of Victory Or Secession. LDS brought us to civil war and 600,000 deaths later, the Rebel government abandoned their capital in Richmond. Lee's army surrendered at Apommatox, and some weeks later Michigan's 4th Cavalry Regiment arrested Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Georgia with 14 wagon loads of gold, silver and gems withdrawn from the Confederate treasury. Davis' apparent goal was to help fund Mexico's dictator Maximillian in his continuing fight, begun by previous dictator Santa Anna, against pro-Democracy forces who comprised the majority of the population but were unarmed. Under Davis, Southern Democrats had truly become the anti-democracy party in a classic act of projection.
Bob, that was great, I love getting a little more educated when I post with normal folks.
here are some more parallels to the democrat vermin of 1860, with the democrat vermin of today
Plantations
Historic, and todays Democrats
Prior to 1860, Democrats worked hard to keep their slaves ignorant, pregnant, and on the plantation. While they did not overtly separate black families, they did separate them anytime it was expedient for profit.
During the Democrats Jim Crow KKK years, miraculously, the black families actually grew and prospered despite the systemic racism the Democrats had placed into law. Blacks were getting better educations, despite the Democrats segregation. There was only about a 20 percent single parent population in the black community. Even under the Democrats Jim Crow, the black populations in prison were much lower
Then the Republicans stopped the Democrats Jim Crow, and eventually made the Democrats Klan ineffective at harming or violating the black population.
Then LBJ (another democrat) created the welfare state . From 1968, to now, the black prison population has tripled. The Democrats complain about racial disparity in our prisons. Almost all of those blacks were put in prisons in a democrat-controlled city, by a democrat DA.
The single parent numbers in black families is now 70 percent, and the biggest indicator of poverty or incarceration is being raised in a single parent family.
The democrats complain that our schools are failing the black students. The Democrats control, and have for the past 40 years, controlled most of the public schools in these cities.
The black population was increasing under the Democrats Jim Crow laws, yet after forty years of Democrat coontrol, it is shrinking.
The Democrats Klan lynched approx. 40500 blacks over 100 years. The Klan is very proud of "Klanned Parenthood", who have lynched over 19 million black babies, in the womb, and got the mothers to help. Now these vermin chop up the healthy body parts of mentally ill children.
Democrats have not changed much since their KKK/Jim Crow days. They just got more evil. Today their Plantations are called, Chicago Portland, Atlanta, etc.
And the leftist propaganda machine, IE mainstream news, is just lying to so many gullible idiots, that this will probably get worse before it gets better.
Democrats have not really changed at all since 1860.
Grandpa was Marxist, dad a socialist/socialist-demonrat, or whatever title would be appropriate; I fell off the tree and rolled quite a spell. I won’t confess my last demonrat vote, but I will say I am blessed that it wasn’t consequential.
When 💩 💩 head’s handler was running for president in ‘07, maybe when he won the title POTUS, I had a long distance convo with dad that quickly devolved. I suspect dad had been a bit deep into his nightcap but when I pointed out the failings of his sainted 💩 💩 head ( 💩 💩 head Prime?), dad went off on a vitriolic shouting/screaming tirade that I was concerned I would have to apologize to my neighbors later - at the time, nearest neighbor was over a football field away 🤷♀️.
We didn’t communicate again for at least a couple years - yeah, I was the first to make contact.
🤔 don’t think dad had a chance to vote against President Trump before he died in 2015. Yeah, Yeah - whenever has a death certificate stopped a demonrat, esp in WA state 😂
Anyway, I live in one of the few demonrat cities in Montana, went to law school where&when my constitutional conservatism was gelling/forming, so I’ve had a ring side seat observing this schism rending America from both sides of the arena and in academia, professional and intimate relationships.
Back in the dating game (don’t judge: I’m not dead and I AM looking age appropriate - but I do have the little red "sports car" 😊), this schism is definitely a factor in the dating pool - esp considering my location 🤣.
Hey, Almost bought a place in Haywood county, Maggie Valley, a few years back - county to the west from Buncombe. Nice house on 11ac of farmland. Bought my little red sports car up in Blacksburg, VA, and still think of myself as an Appalachia hillbilly (with what must be a Midwest dialect by now).
In the nursing field, I was seeing some of this insanity from social workers back in the 80s, I had no idea that the rabid insane vermin would take over, big surprise
Maggie Valley is awesome, I do not believe they allow leftist vermin to live in the city limits ;-}
Sports car sounds great. When I divorced, I started dating a young lady, just 2 years younger than me, she looked 20 years younger, and had a Mazda Miata. Without the expense and hassle (of dating young stupid people) I was living the mid life crisis dream.
Tragically, that was the young lady that got TDS in 2016. Thank god that happened after our son (1st for both) was old enough, and inoculated against the leftist vermin.
When I was screeching online about the leftist vermin in Charlotte passing a law allowing men to use the little girls room, he asked what was going on. I told him, and at 13, he was inoculated. He said, "dad, that's not a gender issue, that's a genitalia issue".
I was so proud.
I identify as......
Appalachian American.
Its not to late to move. The weather here keeps getting better. Thank GOD for global warming.
Sounds like you both need counseling Pat. Don't drop your laundry here.
My newest plan is to keep my mouth shut about the insane democrat vermin.
It seems to be working, a lot less hateful bitch coming my way, now.
Its a hard lesson, but attacking the delusions of loved ones tends to backfire, despite any hopes of rationality.
My wife is very smart, and if I do NOT give her something to use to maintain her delusions, I am hopeful she will figure it our herself.
Therapy is useless, she does not even recognize any fantasy thinking on her part (she has been a psych nurse for 40 years, like me, and man, pysch nurses are sick puppies, albeit functional).
If you give delusional people something to push back against, they get sicker and more entrenched. If they have nothing to push against, eventually, their delusions fall over. Hopefully.
This is the "judo" version of mental health.
On made-up math: Many years ago my professor in a Probability and Statistics course assigned us to pick a relevant topic and write about it for 10% of our grade. The topic I chose was a woman who stabbed her husband for discovering that her gambling addiction had made them nearly bankrupt.
Her assertion was that she had a telepathic superpower that enabled her to predict the results of gambling games, in particular the state lottery.
So using her own statements as to how much money she won, I calculated out what a person guessing randomly would have won. She lost 20% more money on the lottery with her "system", than a random guesser would have lost.
Her desire to win the argument ("My system works!") exceeded her curiosity over learning the truth.
Amongst other relationships to avoid forming with the pathological narcissist, is any work or business relationship in which the narcissist handles money. Any losing streak once begun by such a person, continues until all funds are exhausted, and then you will finally learn the news that the money is gone.
dear god preaching to the choir. My first wife, who had an occasional part time job, and felt like she did most of the contributing to our home back then, was completely delusional about money. She actually believed that she could spend money to save money. Tragically, that ended up being us buying cheap crap at a yard sale, storing it for 3 years, then re selling it at a loss.
What is bizarre, about my wife now, she is the most fiscally conservative person I ever met, and is also a social conservative (one reason we have two houses, paid for). How in the hell she has been voting democrat all her life just illustrates how so many intelligent people can choose to be so willfully stupid. Just bizarre. Being in the cult kind of explains some of that behavior.
Hey guys, I have anew theory about Repugs and Dims.
The good Dr already knows this. I learned this from Dr Peterson.
Women tend to value the spoken and written word way more than actions.
Men tend to value actions over any word.
This is why men watch porn, and women read it (bizarre how 50 Shades of Gray, a bondage masochistic novel, degrading women, that was number one during the height of the ME TOO movement)
This also explains why so many women will stay with the guy that beats the shit out of them regularly, because they "say" they will do better.
Now look at Democrats. They tend to value what the democrat vermin say, and ignore their actions that cause so much harm.
Repubs tend to look at the actions, and ignore the speech.
And now I give you Trump, whose actions were pretty damn good, and all the democrat idiots could do was whine about what he said.
It seems, the Democrat party is the ex wife of America, and the Repub party is the dad.
Perhaps if the Repubs started saying pretty things to the idiot democrats, they might change their little minds. Which they have been doing lately, which kind of pisses off repubs.
Dilemma.
Anyway, that's my new theory.
Now, off to worship Caffeinopec, the Aztec god of Coffee.
(wish I could show that cool meme here)
We all have friends like this.
My wife's best childhood friend spends every freaking waking moment talking about her ailments, going to the doctor, and not spending any time doing anything productive because of her health ailments.
You're 58 year old woman. You weigh 300 lbs. Your legs are swollen trunks of bloodied, oozing flesh, and your entire existence is spent complaining about how you simply can't lose weight, you can't get outside, you can't see your own toes. Your life revolves around how often you're sick, can't get out of bed, have lost your voice, and feel horrible, and yet again, you will do NOTHING TO FIX THIS.
Why are you this way ? BECAUSE YOU CHOOSE TO BE THIS WAY.
I've had enough of the "oh woe is me" crap, and my suggestion is that if your life sucks so bad, why not move to Canada. I hear they have some really good programs set up for folks who wallow in their own pity.
These folks live to embrace the question; "Why am I always the victim". The real question is; "Why am I always a volunteer"? They suit up and show up for their own misery.
If we volunteer for a "poor me pity party", it is our responsibility to STOP IT!
Ouch
Nice
Hi,
Thought you made a long comment. Was wanting to read it and my connection went down. When I re-establish it and more seemed gone. Went through several times sans success. Wanted you to know you and your views are appreciated. Hoping tomorrow will restore success. Take care.
I liked your comment “Ouch”.
Oh the joys of Morbid Obesity. Never knew what it was, till it was too late. The adjustable gastric bands have done wonders for so many. I recommend them to anyone that is serious about solving big weight issues, before it brings on heart failure in oneself and heartache throughout an entire family. Don’t feed Trolls.
Sometimes we have to be kicked in the face a few times before we realize something so obvious, it hurts when we find out that what we were doing was wrong.
For example.
My wife and I just bought a new place, affectionately known as the "shit shack", in another state. This is our "get away from the shithole" place we currently reside in. I would never come back here if it wasn't for the ball and chain making me do so, each time we head to the shack.
So, the 250' driveway was not really maintained well, and full of holes and a bit muddy. Since we just dumped a bunch on the purchase, I wanted to save a few bucks, and since I'm still mentally 17 years old, I had 4 tons of stone dumped on the property, and instead of working smart, I used my 4 decades of body building muscles to move about 250 full wheel barrows all up and down the drive, to fill in the dual lines to the house. Little did I realize that my already damaged spine was about to give me the big middle finger.
So a few weeks go by, and some really odd sensations has me at my primary who says "you have a DRE today, and I think a prostatitis, and it's time for some antibiotics. So few weeks go by, nothing changes, and back at the doc. All my 400 blood tests came back normal, so she says I need a colonoscopy, and maybe an MRI of my kidneys, as well as go see another urologist for another opinion. So I go see the urologist, who nearly kills me with his DRE, and I think I've had enough doctors for a while. Procrastinated as usual.
Canceled the colonoscopy, and spent some time in the gym, just stretching. Well I started to notice that when I stretched, I could alter the sensations I was having. I went to visit a chiro and told him my symptoms, and he says "You need a lower lumber MRI, NOW !". With the blank, scared paleface look on his face, I agreed.
The next morning, 6 am, and $500 out of pocket (only way to get it done fast), it turns out that I had damaged my spine from S1 to L1 over the years, and that 4 tons of stone moving around was the point of notification that you are "no longer 17 years old, you dumbass !"
So here I am, years later, after beating the snot out of myself, barely able to lift a case of bottled water in order to avoid these symptoms from getting any worse. I'm in the gym for a half hour every morning, doing these 8 specialized stretching exercises, and back again at night doing the exact same 8 exercises. No more lifting. No more bodybuilding with weights. Those days are over, and yes, it's too late to realize just how damaged I could make myself if I just tried hard enough.
Appreciate your situation. It is VERY aggravating to Go For/To folks to be hamstrung. Wishing you success in restoring your functionalities. Working along those lines myself. It sure does take resolve.
I've been super dedicated to these stretching exercises, but they're not the end all, nor will they fix me. They're just relieving some of the tension the body puts on damaged joints, when it realizes something isn't right.
Not sure where I'm eventually going to be with this problem, but no matter what I have to do, I will. Anything is better than going under the knife.
Am doing daily hr + 1/2 physical therapy recommended exercises. So far retaining function (if manage full compliance). Same goal - No knives!
T, Have you looked into acupuncture? It can be very effective with many issues. Seeing a chiro. on a regular basis is also complementary. Beating the "snot" out yourself is understandable, but some visualizing for your spine is better. I know, woo woo, but you know me... oh, and my weight lifting husband and I have a "Teeter" machine, an inversion that stretches the spine gently. Anytime my spine feels tight I "hang" a little.
She may just be operating out of stress caused by her world turned upside down during Covid. Some folks are just more fragile than others.
I do think that is exactly what has happened.
I like your compassion/understanding
Got one of those in my life.
My job is setting boundaries and not ruminating on what she’ll want next :0).
It’s hard to do
I am surprised to hear that this behavior got triggered so recently.
It is somewhat dangerous to stay connected in any way to such people.
This is a regrettable fact of life, but proved by long experience.
Deep and wide topic. Skipping the details of a personal experience with an ASPD (anti social personality disorder) I did a deep dive into psychopathy about 10 years ago. I started by reading Dr. Robert Hare's book - Without Conscience The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. And, no according to Dr. Hare based on 30 plus years of work, psychopaths cannot be changed/cured. They have miswired brains. I see the complex fleshly human side to this, personality type, upbringing, etc., as well as the more simple spiritual side, i.e. demons locked into the weakness of the human, convincing him that he is a god.
That said, I see all sorts of reasons both worldly and spiritual that have caused a significant rise in narcissism and, ironically, how these types are compelled to rise to power, whether in an HOA or Congress.
My personal solution when encountering a passive/aggressive, narcissist is to ignore him/her. This does cause their heads to spin but my life long philosophy allows that I cannot be offended by anyone, without my permission, meaning I have to care what they think. I rarely do.
Love this.
Yes, it’s very hard living with these types of demons. I’ve shut the door on a few and have no regrets whatsoever. Very sad but the abuse they inflict is intolerable and I deserve better.
Someone close to me was abused as a child and fits this personality description perfectly. She doesn't troll me but when I reach out, I get only hurt and recrimination. Thank you for explaining this syndrome so well Dr. Malone. I know she is damaged. I am left with prayer, the best thing anyway.
I can relate to that. My highly intelligent with little common sense older brother whom I fled sorry for from the time I was 8 years old came to live with me after living with a younger brother. I thought he could get a job with the State. He told me about the three things I had done for him in the 1960s and how he felt sorry for us siblings because he was dad’s favorite. I know he was when he was the only child, but when the next three arrived it was obvious there were no favorites. The incessant questions meant to provoke made life difficult. His political belief system was antithetical to mine. He said he was too sick to work and started seeing more than one doctor with numerous complaints. He was getting multiple prescriptions and eventually had a massive brain bleed. His daughter came with her husband. Ten days in the hospital and she okayed removal of life support. Some years before they had had a falling out. He was only 65.
I had no idea when I asked him to come stay with me that living with my other brother was causing him marital problem as there had been confrontation with his wife. I wonder if it is a misery loves company so making others miserable is the only option.
I had a 'friend' at work who spent hours dumping on me.
Terrible childhood - Mother said (and acted out) child made her suicidal.
Wanted pet. Got her cat. Returned cat as too friendly
Wanted pet. Got basengi and locked it in a cage
Wanted husband. Got husband and reported making him cry.
Wanted baby. I suggested she reflect on realities of parenting (diapers, crying, sicknesses and other demanding concerns.
She said I was evil trying to undermine her recovery and departed from our relationship. IMO her getting a baby as related to her experiences could be devastating for said infant.
I felt relieved not to deal with this juncture in her life.
I’m so sorry. It’s toughest when it’s family I think. That last statement applies to my situation so aptly.
Don't forget some of them are simply paid to harass and delegitimize certain people as well.
chaos agents.
Didn't Maxwell Smart have a problem with them?
I know it's not for everyone, but I disentangled myself from all social media (except substack!) several years ago, and it has been nothing but terrific. 👍🏼
It works for me
I never have done much with social media. I have a Facebook page only so I can stay in contact with my many friends from years past who I met when I was working and living overseas. I only have them for friends and family and the number is limited. I've never paid any attention to anything else or any ads on FB. Other than occasionally looking at FB to see what friends are doing, I read a few Substacks and a couple of other similar websites like Victor Davis Hanson's, and that's it. I can't imagine how people seem to live looking at their phones constantly. It's messed up.
I remember back in about 2010 I was up in Squaw Valley skiing, up on top of the mountain surrounded by incredible views and sitting in a little cafe there sipping tea. I became aware of a group of 4 or 5 20-somethings at a nearby table, and found it so odd that instead of laughing and talking and having fun in this beautiful spot, they were all staring silently at their phones like zombies and not talking to each other at all. It seemed so weird, like they were mesmerized. I wondered where that was going lead to, but never imagined it as it has turned out now. It seems like the phones hypnotize people.
I came to the conclusion that the mutton crew lead troll & sheep farmer & failed scientist, GB was "chosen" for his special characteristics. The same attributes that led to the academy rejecting him as an employee had the government hire him as an X troll. This article describes him perfectly (and a former friend of mine.)
Two of my nephews are on the spectrum (two different families) but one of them has this precise personality disorder. He has more Aspergers issues than the other lad, but he's very, very intelligent.
He has absolutely no empathy. It seems to me that the cabal are hiring these individuals for these characteristics. So, they vaccinate them into brain damage & then hire them to do more damage, later in life. The irony is almost overwhelming.
This is an excellent summation of whats happening psychologically in western culture today.
I believe there is a pandemic of narcissism globally. Since the introduction of the I Phone in 2007, phones are the pond we stare into and see ourselves in. Children have this reinforced by mimicking parents who are cultivating and curating their IMAGE every hour of every day. We have had over 20 years of this. The historic routes once taken toward self actualization, individuation, self agency have been replaced by the phone and then buried under this tsunami of images and technologies. The phone is my Shepard I shall want infinitely.
Here is the definition of Narcissism everyone should learn. https://www.healthyplace.com/personality-disorders/malignant-self-love/the-narcissists-stripped-ego
Narcs do NOT have Egos and this explains what replaces the Ego and how easily the phone is doing that work for us. Phone technology magnifies the loss of our Genuine Selves and sense of belonging by many orders of magnitude. The result are people (and now ai ) exactly as Dr. Malone describes.
The Matrix is here.
So this is why everyone in my gym is constantly staring, and photographing their own asses in the mirrors?
My wife went into the womens locker room, and a mid 20's female was completely bare ass naked, photographing her own body in the mirror, focusing mostly on her breasts, and ass.
Is this a facebook thing?
(I dont have a FB acct)
Wife couldn't stop telling me how diagusted she felt simply being in the locker room with this girl.
Bizzare things we experience in life,I guess
Thank you for the definition of Narcissism. Very well put. I would add that the lack of empathy is a major cause of these characteristics also. Without the ability to have any emotions or feelings regarding how others might be experiencing life, they are all alone without a rudder of any kind! I also appreciate the iPhone as a cause; right on!!!
Interesting topic. My current (used to have or currently have face to face interactions) 'friends' have severe (D/Uber liberal) differences with me. We are both aware and wholly avoid those topics. I do a fair amount of online commenting which seems to be, if anything, positively received. I'm generally trying to support the theme or adding a nuance. Once in a while I will react to a troll. Still trying to perfect that. Mostly no bite backs.
I presume many if not most of us have vulnerabilities in our psyches we are sensitive to. My own experience, it is somewhat helpful to be aware of them. Still, they result in a few reactions 'from the hip' that prove counter productive.
Have been there and experienced a lot of the points raised in this essay. Points well reviewed and taken. Personal (awarness) and growth is the best answer. Thanks so much for the (re)enforcement.
I hear the sun is on the way. Have a good day!
Very Bestest and then some ♡♡♡
Nice insight Jean. I know that I react differently depending on how invested I am in a topic and in a person. Know thy self is important but difficult in the 'moment'.