Which came first?
Narcissism or Marxism?
Endless yapping about “narcissist personality disorder” is everywhere—but mostly on the internet where it’s safe to gossip learnedly. There’s varieties of personality disorders—narcissism is one—but it all boils down to a person we know who is an asshole and cares only about themselves and manipulates and gaslight others, either to get what they want, or because of self-esteem issues, or just out of sheer delight and perversity. There is a mystery and weighted speculation about the whole topic, which means talk about it never ceases.
“Am I an empath? Or, God forbid, a narcissist?”
Per the French revolution, friends and enemies in the narcissist spectrum blur into each other. In ironic tones, or not, accusations fly back and forth.
The actual Greek myth is, in fact, quite interesting and involves Echo, who is rarely mentioned, the female who can only repeat what others say—Echo was who Narcissus was pursuing—until the youth found the echo of himself in the reflecting waters of a pond—and became satisfied with that. Perhaps no one talks about Echo because everyone who rants on about narcissists ruining their lives are just repeating words and gossip of others?
The best way for an educated, “empathic,” person to insult a person they don’t like is to publicly assign them a pathology, a “disorder,” something which comes from a medical manual, a “disorder” with deep roots—one that is generally considered incurable.
This is how it’s done these days. “Empaths” know this.
Narcissism talk often sounds like the result of a bitter break-up (the empath was dumped) or family breakups (one of the empath’s parents was dumped).
Therefore, many—perhaps correctly—see this kind of semi-learned discourse as nothing more than a bitch-session. Since so many are victims of dumping or gaslighting, however, the ranks of amateur “narcissism experts” continues to grow.
One could dismiss the whole phenomenon as merely psychologically pretentious emoting, but I think the answer lies in… politics.
Marxism is contrary to the phenomenon under discussion—Marxism is the hard-headed view that vocation and money shape us.
And yes, most educated Americans are leftist, with shades of Marxist beliefs.
Narcissism talk, then, is simply a way to express feelings suppressed by Marxism.
For example, those on the left are taught to empathize with the poor, with criminals.
Narcissism discourse, however, is obsessed with criminal-type (or at least damaging, anti-social) behavior practiced by rich and poor alike.
Therefore the “policing instinct,” repressed by Marxism (cops are bad, poor people are good) is allowed to bloom among leftists who are not allowed to have these “cop feelings.”
And it works both ways—which helps to make the whole thing even more popular. Those who are not Marxists, who are not accepted in the social circles of the educated left, immerse themselves in Narcissism “policing”—so they can bond with, and “teach” their leftist sisters and brothers.
Every hyper-popular, vigorous, social trend reflects what is even larger than itself—and hidden.
Those stuck in the social trend itself, echoing its platitudes, pontificate within the confines of it (no matter how seemingly learned or sophisticated the trend appears) in vain.