I have just finished a non-fiction account of a Green Beret officer, who was also a doctor, who was convicted of slaughtering his family ten years ofter the fact. The book is called Fatal Vision, by Joe McGinniss (http://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Vision-Joe-McGinniss/dp/0451165667/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276082050&sr=1-1).
In the end-notes, the author cites an extensive study of the narcissistic personality disorder, conducted by psychoanalyst Otto Kernberg, who published many of his findings in a 1975 volume entitled "Borderline Conditions and Pathological Narcissism". I would like to quote a little from that work.
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"On the surface, (pathological narcissistic individuals) may not present seriously disturbed behavior; some of them function socially very well. Many possess the capacity for active, consistent work in some area which permits them partially to fulfill their ambition of greatness and obtaining admiration and approval from other people."
Kernberg observed "a curious apparent contradiction between a very inflated concept of themselves and an inordinate need for tribute from others. When narcissistic personalities are in a position of objective importance they love to surround themselves with admirers in whim they are interested as long as the admiration is new. They obtain very little enjoyment in life other than from the tributes they receive from others or from their own grandiose fantasies, and feel restless and bored when external glitter wears off and no new sources feed their self-regard."
Kernberg considers the main characteristics of narcissists to be "grandiosity, extreme self-centeredness, and a remarkable absense of interest and empathy for others in spite of the fact that they are so very eager to obtain admiration and approval. It is as if they have a right to control and possess others and to expolit them without feeling guilt feelings, and, behind a surface which very often is charming and engaging, one senses coldness and ruthlessness. These patients not only lack emotional depth, but fail to understand complex emotion in other people."
"...Narcissistic patients divide the world into famous, rich and great people on one hand, and the despicable, worthless 'mediocrity,' on the other. Such patients are afraid of not belonging to the company of the great, rich and powerful, and of belonging instead to the 'mediocre,' by which they mean worthless and despicable, rather than 'average' in the ordinary sense of the word.
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It goes on for quite a bit, but you get the idea. How many politicians can you think of right off the top of your head who this seems to describe to a tee? Any one in particular?
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Conflicted
I am conflicted. I am somewhat ashamed. I am a living example of how broken the system is.
Last year (2009), I was laid off work on February 6. I submitted over 100 applications and resumes, receiving only 3 replies for my efforts, none of which ended up with an actual interview. On this point, let's be clear: I am 47 years old, and it has never in my adult life taken me longer than about a week to find work if I was genuinely trying to find it. Anyway, about July of last year, I was getting very down on myself for not finding work, and my lovely wife put her foot up my butt and made me return to college to occupy my time. She is a wise girl.
So anyway, I spent almost 11 months on unemployment last year. I did NOT have federal taxes withdrawn from my Unemployment benefits.
In June of last year, my wife was also laid off, due to company downsizing. She saw this as an opportunity to increase her college load from part time to full time. She, like myself, never had taxes withheld from her Unemployment checks. Now, onto my being conflicted.
The system is broken. At the end of the year, I owed no taxes. This, I can understand, as I basically made almost no money. But we received a tax refund of over $6000. Lord knows, I can use the $ as Unemployment is about to run out and that will leave me living off of student loans while paying a mortgage and supporting a family. It is a God-send. *BUT*, I am ashamed that I received a larger refund than I ever have before - by far, when I paid next to $0 into the system.
There is more. Since my wife is a "displaced worker" and a full time student, the government is basically throwing money at her. The amount of Pell Grants she receives continues to grow, almost by the month.
Meanwhile, check this out. One of my wife's friends has a husband about to ship out to Afganistan. His National Guard unit is so broke, that the new recruits have fired live ammunition in training ONE time! One time and off to war they go! The rest of the training, I assume, has been conducted with blank ammunition and what is known as a MILES system (lasers and vests that beep when you are "hit"). MILES training is effective; I did it many times when I was in the Army during Reagan's peace time. But it is no substitution for actually firing and learning your individual weapon on the rifle range.
I am conflicted. I fully understand the intention to get me "dependent" on government hand-outs. I am angry at myself for accepting them and being thankful for them.
Last year (2009), I was laid off work on February 6. I submitted over 100 applications and resumes, receiving only 3 replies for my efforts, none of which ended up with an actual interview. On this point, let's be clear: I am 47 years old, and it has never in my adult life taken me longer than about a week to find work if I was genuinely trying to find it. Anyway, about July of last year, I was getting very down on myself for not finding work, and my lovely wife put her foot up my butt and made me return to college to occupy my time. She is a wise girl.
So anyway, I spent almost 11 months on unemployment last year. I did NOT have federal taxes withdrawn from my Unemployment benefits.
In June of last year, my wife was also laid off, due to company downsizing. She saw this as an opportunity to increase her college load from part time to full time. She, like myself, never had taxes withheld from her Unemployment checks. Now, onto my being conflicted.
The system is broken. At the end of the year, I owed no taxes. This, I can understand, as I basically made almost no money. But we received a tax refund of over $6000. Lord knows, I can use the $ as Unemployment is about to run out and that will leave me living off of student loans while paying a mortgage and supporting a family. It is a God-send. *BUT*, I am ashamed that I received a larger refund than I ever have before - by far, when I paid next to $0 into the system.
There is more. Since my wife is a "displaced worker" and a full time student, the government is basically throwing money at her. The amount of Pell Grants she receives continues to grow, almost by the month.
Meanwhile, check this out. One of my wife's friends has a husband about to ship out to Afganistan. His National Guard unit is so broke, that the new recruits have fired live ammunition in training ONE time! One time and off to war they go! The rest of the training, I assume, has been conducted with blank ammunition and what is known as a MILES system (lasers and vests that beep when you are "hit"). MILES training is effective; I did it many times when I was in the Army during Reagan's peace time. But it is no substitution for actually firing and learning your individual weapon on the rifle range.
I am conflicted. I fully understand the intention to get me "dependent" on government hand-outs. I am angry at myself for accepting them and being thankful for them.
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