hi all, as some of you may have noticed I like to psychoanalyze people. Ive read big buckets of psychology books, and particularly new age/spiritual psychology. after awhile it gets repetitive-- both the books and the people.

and yeah, if you're really good at it you can get to be a little uncanny. people will accuse you of all kinds of crimes against humanity rather than confront their own "shadow side".

I guess if you're really good at it you also tend to be attracted to the biggest basket cases. because the truth is, healthy people dont really need much psychology or psychoanalysis. they're already aware of it all. its the people who have the strongest shadow side that can be psychoanalyzed to the yin-yang [literally so to speak]. they can also be like nitroglycerin. powerful, but unstable.

Ive been collecting very interesting links on narcissism for awhile now. there is a basic misunderstanding or misperception of narcissim that it might render its subjects antisocial. nothing could be further from the truth. in fact, narcissistic people appear to be somewhat hypersocial. they surround themselves with as many pseudo-friends as possible. but they are really unthinking admirers. the worst the narcissism, the more blind the followers will be, the more intolerant the Alpha at the center.

just FYI, here are the basic traits of narcissistic people. this is one somewhat common list that pops up. Ive seen various others that are mostly similar.[9] [19] is a basic survey by Psychology Today.

- Glibness and Superficial Charm
- Grandiose Sense of Self-Worth/Extreme Ego-Centricity
- Need for Stimulation/Proneness to Boredom
- Pathological Lying
- Conning/Manipulation
- Lack of Remorse or Guilt
- Shallow Emotions
- Callous/Lack of Empathy
- Parasitic Lifestyle
- Poor Behavior Control
- Promiscuous Sexual Behavior
- Early Behavior Problems
- Lack of Realistic, Long-Term Goals
- Impulsivity
- Irresponsibility
- Failure to Accept Responsibility for Own Actions
- Many Short-Term Marital Relationships
- Juvenile Delinquency
- Revocation of Conditional Release
- Criminal Versatility

it seems somewhat remarkable that there might be a disease of narcissism esp. in american culture.[3] however, the case can be made. the strengths of americans such as independence, free thinking, power, etcetera can be turned into narcissism if taken too far. this is one of the basic ideas of spiritual psychology-- all traits are sort of like razor edges that require a balance.

a very interesting case s made in links [1-3,16] that narcissism is tightly coupled with the new internet culture revolving around blogs, social media eg facebook/myspace, and also twitter, the new invention. its strange that they all have narcissism amplification in common.

it would seem with the invention of this new printing or vanity press we call cyberspace, we are initially getting carried away with its narcissism amplification abilities. Im sure this will balance out after awhile. Ive noticed/observed, technology tends to magnify our personality defects until they become so glaring that we are forced to confront them. [thats a very deep/complex topic for a whole other post I guess....]

also fascinating is the idea that executives tend to be narcissistic and that the economic crash may be related to it.[4,7] we have what we call the "vampire economy". but you know, narcissists are sort of like psychic/emotional vampires. maybe the rise of vampire culture is a way for culture to confront its shadow side indirectly. maybe the stars of twilight have narcissistic tendencies?

just fyi, the link that tipped me over the edge and finally made me write this post was the one on sarah palin.[8] now its hard to psychoanalyze someone publicly, due to lack of detail about their life and their personal feelings, but if you have their autobiography, you can do a respectable job.

I dont know what the verdict will be on her book, but it appears to be full of endless projections. all of what she says about other ppl may be true, yet she apparently takes virtually no personal responsibility. on the other hand one wonders, is that a trait of the republicans? it does seem very much in line with bush [eg Mission Accomplished] and cheney [go f*** yourself]. 

if sarah palin has narcissistic tendencies, as I think she does, it wouldnt be surprising that americans find her very attractive and repulsive at the same time. a lightning rod, a jungian archetype realized in the flesh. it is no coincidence that other celebrities seem to have the disease of narcissism, eg britney spears comes to mind.

in fact the whole celebrity culture has a strong whiff of narcissism to it. and it is not a coincidence that britney spears veered into apparent mental dysfunction after awhile. that seems to be the endgame for intense narcissism.

ok, I really dont like most flamewars [esp those with nothing significant at stake], and Im not trying to restart a recent one  on here. however Id be remiss not to mention our very own narcissistic crowd. I would cite "aeofe" as one of the 1st narcissists I met on here. its too bad she deleted her whole blog on here. but you can still read it.[14-15]

and then theres EP, with her recent infamous post, "I dont care what stupid people think" along with the disclaimer from her and her lawyer that it applies to anyone on Open Salon [10]. I think this post does fit many of the criteria for narcissism. which inspired a raft of parodies and retorts.[11-13]

[17,18] are a review and an interview of the author of a new book on what he calls the "narcissism epidemic". "epidemic" is definitely a strong and alarming word but the author justifies it with worldwide studies and scientific research, making a plausible case. it seems like the negative consequences are somewhat hazy and the public might laugh at the supposed dark implications of an army of narcissists....

what exactly happens, is that like a horde of people staring in the mirror? it seems like maybe we are in early stages and the whole thing hasnt fully played out yet. but I must admit, I do share some fear. for example, could it lead to large scale alterations like eg a dismantling of the social security net by the younger generation?

I dont want to lecture here. I think the key is, "know thyself" and "the truth will set you free." and jack nicholsons immortal words in Few Good Men. "you want the truth? you cant HANDLE the truth!"

[1]
Social Media
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/06/funniest-venn-diagrams-th_n_347552.html?slidenumber=uRsXIbhkUi4%3D#slide_image

[2]
Narcissism, Key Ingredient in Success of Social Media
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/val-brown/narcissism-key-ingredient_b_262072.html

[3]
The Royal ME
How our society encourages narcissism, why it creates suffering,
and what you can do about it
BY ROZ BROWN
http://www.nexuspub.com/articles_2009/feature_2009_so_royalme.php

[4]
Narcissism and the Economic Crisis?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-drew-pinsky/narcissism-and-the-econom_b_178541.html

[5]
Echoes of Narcissism
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-sigman/echoes-of-narcissism_b_186234.html

[6]
Know any narcissists?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-goulston-md/are-you-a-narcissist_b_169340.html

[7]
The Narcissistic Ego and Vampire Economy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vivian-norris-de-montaigu/the-narcissistic-ego-and_b_311188.html

[8] 
Does Sarah Palin suffer from narcissistic personality disorder? Michelle Goldberg puts America’s hottest author on the couch.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-11-18/palins-ego-trip/

[9]
Narcissism/ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism

[10]
I don't care what stupid people think UPDATE
http://open.salon.com/blog/emma_peel/2009/11/06/i_dont_care_what_stupid_people_think

[11]
The Height of Blogdacity: Emma Peel
http://open.salon.com/blog/twinman1959/2009/11/08/the_height_of_audacity_emma_peel

[12]
An OS Post for the Amazing Ms. Emma Peel
http://open.salon.com/blog/just-walt/2009/11/08/an_os_post_for_the_amazing_ms_emma_peel

[13]
I no longer care what my stupid dog thinks
http://open.salon.com/blog/john_ii/2009/11/11/i_no_longer_care_what_my_stupid_dog_thinks

[14]
Adventures of a faux escort
http://open.salon.com/blog/aoafedotcom

[15]
A.O.A.F.E.
The scandalously delicious diary of a UCLA college student (Ali) and several of her friends who create a faux escort agency to finance their crazy addiction to fashion, celebrities, music, art, film, nightlife and oh yeah, school!
http://www.aoafe.blogspot.com/

[16]
Are social networks making students more narcissistic?
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-08-24-narcissism-young_N.htm

[17]
Generation Me -- A new book says we're in a narcissism epidemic. Why you're not so special.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/194640

[18]
Narcissism Epidemic: Why There Are So Many Narcissists Now
An author of The Narcissism Epidemic explores why today's kids—and adults—feel so entitled
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2009/04/21/narcissism-epidemic-why-there-are-so-many-narcissists-now.html?PageNr=1

[19]
A Field Guide To Narcissism
Narcissists are charming, exasperating, captivating—and sometimes downright ludicrous. The weird world of the megalomaniac, explained.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200512/field-guide-narcissism

[20]
Facebook feeds narcissism, survey says - CNN.com
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/08/30/facebook.narcissism.mashable/index.html

[21]
Researcher: Narcissism's Alive and Well on Facebook
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20016136-501465.html

[22]
Narcissism: Should It Be in the DSM? - The Daily Beast
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-12-03/narcissism-should-it-be-in-the-dsm/?cid=hp:mainpromo5

[23]
We all want to be liked: Facebook's narcissist effect - Fortune Tech
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/12/10/we-all-want-to-be-liked-facebooks-narcissist-effect/