An Electronic Monument to Narcissism
Posted by Admin on October 6, 2010 in Training
This post’s title was provided by Grace who hails from some place that affords access to the internet. She posted a comment earlier today that, for some reason, can’t be located within this website otherwise I would have simply published it. Then again, it might not have gotten the proper attention had it remained as an unnoticeable comment to a rather long blog post, so I’ll provide it below along with my commentary:
This website is like an electronic monument to narcissism. Could you possibly be more utterly self-obsessed? And, you seriously treat your girlfriend so well that she is apparently left to sleep in a damn car and fetch your gear while you race? Good grief, man, get OVER yourself.
First reaction to this was a smile: could this be a friend taking an opportunity to throw a dig at me? I’m a perennial target and have no problem with that, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t the case… mostly because my friends aren’t that clever!
Second reaction to this was also a smile: I felt like saying, “Duh, all blogs represent some form of vanity, as if to suggest that the world needs to know what’s going on in the author’s life… as if that author is so important that he/she needs to ensure others are aware.” Grace might have just earned her merit badge for pointing out the obvious.
There are some people who just don’t get it. Vanity is a human projection, borne perhaps from insecurity or maybe pride, but in either event, it’s an undeniable aspect that’s within all of us. Wikipedia states: “The name “narcissism” was coined by Freud after Narcissus who in Greek myth was a pathologically self-absorbed young man who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool. Freud believed that some narcissism is an essential part of all of us from birth.”
Not unlike most people, I feel as if my early years were tough. As an adult, I can look back and see a transformation from a person I didn’t understand or like into the opposite. I don’t pretend to think that I’m done growing, but what’s the harm in taking stock in the path traveled thus far? Ultimately, having pride and some measure of self-confidence makes me a better friend, a better professional, a better partner to my significant other, and a better contributor to society.
Ultimately, this website isn’t for everyone. I post on it from time to time so that friends and family who want to keep in touch with me can do so without having to actually talk to me. For many, that’s a welcome relief! I have some delusions of grandeur in terms of the things that I’d like to do with this site, but that would mean spending some serious, focused time to develop content and design… and God forbid that I invest any more energy into something I’ve created and further morph into exactly the character that Grace has defined.
Lastly, this post isn’t about being self-righteous or telling Grace off. I actually appreciate her comments because it reveals a side of humanity that I don’t get to experience very often. Most of my contemporaries embrace a different kind of humanism, so providing a counterpoint can only help to provide some insight of the other side.
Yours in egomania,
-GG
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