NARCISSISM, POLITICS, DISLIKE OF FREEDOM, DECLINING POPULARITY OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY. PART 2.
WHAT IS NARCISSIM? IS IT A PERSONALITY TRAIT OR A MENTAL ILLNESS?
“The people most driven to political power are the least fit to yield it.”
Before I try to define narcissism, I would like to share a beautiful tale about from an ancient Greek myth. Myths are not considered lies. They are powerful ancient stories that suggest ways of seeing and interpreting the events of life and the world that cannot not be explained by science. Major religions and beliefs of the world can only be pleasantly explained and spread by myths, not science.
A young hunter named Narcissus admired by all for his unmatched beauty and handsomeness spurns everybody who loves and pursues him. Among them a beautiful young nymph, Echo pulls a trick on one of the gods to approach him, is punished and loss her ability to speak except already spoken words by others. Narcissus was initially mesmerized by a voice from Echo that mirrored his own, felt very close to Echo, but eventually rejected her as well.
The Goddess Aphrodite had overheard everything and decided to punish Narcissus and make him to only fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water.
Narcissus remained in love only with himself all his life and eventually pined away eventually, died and became a beautiful flower with the same name.
Narcissism first identified and named after this myth by the British doctor Havelock Ellis as personality / mental disorder in 1898.
Although most people are familiar with the grandiose version of narcissism, academic psychologists see several different variations and dimensions in narcissism. Narcissism is not considered as mental illness by many. People with milder form narcissism traits could have very high energy, self-esteem, charisma and function extremely well with a successful carrier and active social life. But in severe forms they are dysfunctional with additional mental health problems such as continuous anxiety, depression or psychopathy. Clinically they may fluctuate between different forms of narcissism and narcissistic personality disorders.
In short, narcissism could simply be defined as a mental trait in which people only like themselves, become extremely self-centered with an exaggerated sense of superiority and a very fragile ego. They always seek a power position, and they are in constant need of attention and admiration. Yet they are often vain and selfish and have no empathy for other people’s feelings or suffering. But underneath their larger-than-life facade lies their greater fear that any defeat or failure in life would prove that they are just as ordinary as other people. For this reason, they would do anything, say anything, promise everything to get elected to a powerful position. They lie in a such way that as if they are telling the truth, and many people believe in them.
The root cause of narcissism is believed to be genetic and environmental factors such as parental narcissistic upbringing that their child is more special than anybody else and deserve everything.
