This from Eric Maisel's wonderfully intelligent essay on narcissism.
Hamilton (1988) makes the following observation: "People with narcissistic disorders are often talented, charming, and successful. Yet their poor integration of the grandiose and devalued aspects of themselves bring about preoccupation with extravagant success fantasies and expletive behavior accompanied by underlying feelings of meaninglessness and emptiness." But isn't healthy narcissism also likely to breed extravagant success fantasies? What is "unhealthy" about wanting a lot? And why shouldn't just good reality-testing and a keen intelligence provoke feelings of meaninglessness and emptiness?Go, Maisel! Good reality-testing, indeed. I have often tried to say that last sentence quoted above, and failed to get the point across. (because when I say it, it sounds more like I'm waving my pom-poms for nihilism.)
"High self-esteem is no sweet, light affair: it necessarily casts a shadow on the world, because mattering is a demanding, confrontational state of being."
Word up!
I especially enjoy the "expletive behavior."
Posted by: Jo | March 30, 2004 at 08:59 AM
OK, I'm still stuck on the part about waving your pom-poms for nihilism. It leaves a bizarre picture in my mind. ("Yay! Yay! Go, nobody! It just doesn't matter! No one cares!")
Posted by: Rook | March 30, 2004 at 10:47 AM
Squid, you drew me a legless amphibian. Can you draw us all a picture of the Nihilist Pep Squad?
Posted by: badgerbag | March 30, 2004 at 02:28 PM
Don't you think they'd all just sleep through the Event, or smoke cigarettes and sit around on the sidelines with their feet up? Play with matches as the basketball players swept by?
Posted by: Jo | March 30, 2004 at 07:04 PM
for sure they'd be smoking. and there might be absinthe and an indefinable air of ennui. they would all have "0" sweatshirts...
Posted by: badgerbag | March 30, 2004 at 07:25 PM
Wouldn't the pep squad be their hangers-on?
Posted by: squid | March 30, 2004 at 08:55 PM
is pep squad and cheerleaders not the same thing? woe, i expose my abysmal ignorance.
Posted by: badgerbag | March 30, 2004 at 09:15 PM
They are the same thing. I meant that the people sucking up to the real nihilists would be the only ones willing to do the cheering, methinks.
Posted by: squid | March 30, 2004 at 09:44 PM