Last week, I saw a fascinating program on the Narcissism Explosion. The professor revealed that the federal government had crafted via the advice of expert psychologists, a narcissism index.
At first, I thought it was a put on. So, using the Internet, I went to find the test itself to discover if I could know, to what extent I was living in the rosy colored world of self aggrandisement. I concede the irony of not being able to find the index, despite many google searches. One would think at least some of the Narcissists would want this known for things like parties, "Hello, my Narcissism Index rating is 125...what's yours?"
At first, I thought it was a put on. So, using the Internet, I went to find the test itself to discover if I could know, to what extent I was living in the rosy colored world of self aggrandisement. I concede the irony of not being able to find the index, despite many google searches. One would think at least some of the Narcissists would want this known for things like parties, "Hello, my Narcissism Index rating is 125...what's yours?"
The thing is, the lecture indicated that our society is setting up to create a whole world of people staring into the mirror with absolute adulation. My space and twitter, hey, I just had a flash of brilliance...read all about it...did you read it yet? Why the hell not?
Youtube and ahem, bloggers....my thoughts, my life, my stories, my take on things, ought to be noticed, and not just noticed, acclaimed. Cue meme...did I tell you about me? What haven't I told you about me that is alarmingly interesting, at least to me?
Reality television, in which we discover the complete loveless intimacy of the external world. The broken, raw, fragile, frustrated, irritated isolated selfs that put themselves in this position can only win by not being destroyed in the process of establishing a false intimacy with however many viewers are watching. (See Jon and Kate for how not to, or the Balloon Boy Parents). Susan Boyle was amazing because she was real. It's odd, but we forget that we want that reality. If you watch American Idol, you see real people become whittled down and blown dry until they are polished stone, archetypes of their actual selves once we get to the last two.
With our current culture, we are becoming a world of personal islands. The absolute customization of our entire world through Ipod and TiVo, individual cell phones for everyone in the family, and a tv in every room is rapidly creating a world where no one actually has to share/sacrifice, such that each person can get into the family car for a trip and never have to interact with anyone except to ask for additional batteries. So what do we do with all this stuff, all these opportunities to ignore the very real presence of others via the wonders of technology?
Well, for starters, we could turn it off and actually write a letter, phone a friend or wow, actually talk to each other.
Well, except for, you should read my blog. Oh...and comment....because...well it's me.
Well, for starters, we could turn it off and actually write a letter, phone a friend or wow, actually talk to each other.
Well, except for, you should read my blog. Oh...and comment....because...well it's me.
