Narcissism In America Essay
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Narcissism in America
"Out of anger, Timothy McVeigh decided he would take his frustration out on others to give the country a wake-up call. Unfortunately, it was a deadly one" ("Diary 18." Freedom Writer's Diary. 14). Acts of devastations such as this have been suggested to be a result of people having personalities that are dominated by narcissism. The American Heritage Dictionary defines narcissism as a pattern of traits and behaviors which signify infatuation and obsession with one's self to the exclusion of all others and the egotistic and ruthless pursuit of one's gratification, dominance and ambition. Those who have a strong desire to regard themselves, as superior beings are people who are considered to be narcissistic. When questioning the personalities of narcissists, we must first realize a few known problems and surface any possible causes. Ways that narcissists represent themselves may be explained by one of many characteristics possessed and considered abnormal which includes a lack of psychological awareness, such as preoccupation with one's beauty and fantasies of unlimited success. Not only can narcissism be seen throughout our culture in Orange County, but is a growing problem that is reflected particularly through characters such as, Cypher in the 1999 box office movie hit, The Matrix and The Freedom Writer's Diary along with my own experiences. Dwelling on the notion of a Timothy McVeigh, or Cypher involuntarily allows us to wonder if the next self absorbed insane bomber or betrayer exists within our circle of friends, or the boy or girl next door, such as Narcissus.
SHIMOTSU 2
According to the Greek myth, Narcissus was a handsome youth who fell in love with his reflection in the spring. Echo [a young nymph hopelessly in love with Narcissus] with her inability to initiate a conversation was rejected by the self absorbed Narcissus. Subsequently, Narcissus prayed that he would love himself unremittingly, the goddess Nemesis answered this prayer by arranging him that he would stop to drink at a spring on the heights of Mount Helicon. Unable to take his eyes off his reflection in the water, Narcissus immediately fell in love with his image at the spring. As a result, he stayed there staring at himself and died of starvation. But nobody remained at the scene of his death; in its place was a flower known as Narcissus. Feeling good about himself, Narcissus depicts the lack of psychological awareness. Despite Echo being hopelessly in love with Narcissus, he rejects Echo and scorned lovers of both sexes because of his pride.
Similar to Narcissus is the character Cypher in the film The Matrix. 'Cipher' in the dictionary means zero, or "one that is without value". Furthermore, Cypher resembles a Judas archetype, a betrayer, a false Christian, who establishes his selfishness over the welfare of others. This is symbolized by Cypher's red jersey that has a hole over his heart, which portrays him being heartless and without love, for God or others. The distinctiveness of Narcissus and Cypher can be seen around us. For instance, employees who pursue careers that provide opportunities for public recognition and adulation such as acting,
SHIMOTSU 3
modeling, or politics. With the background of a narcissistic person, we must confront the causes that lead to the previously mentioned problems.
Traumas are inevitable and an inseparable part of life. But in early childhood, especially in the formative years of infancy (ages 0 to 4 years) they acquire an ominous aura, an evil, irreversible meaning. As parents sometimes have to go away due to medical or personal reasons, they may be too preoccupied to stay attuned at all times to the child's emotional needs. According to psychologist Heinz Kohut, narcissists may sense emotional distress caused by peers or parents they feel have declined to show reassurance, praise, and admiration ("Psychodynamic Perspectives". 323). For instance, in Diary 16, the writer describes her parents' disapproval of her boyfriend and rebelled by running away. Eventually, her parents arrived at her boyfriend's [where the couple had escaped to] house. "She headed toward my boyfriend and started screaming and lecturing him. My dad came toward me, cussing and screaming. Unexpectedly, he punched me in the eye" (Diary 16. Freedom. 35). Verbal and physical abuse upon the daughter (write of Diary 16) are clearly present. In reference to the writer, she may become a reflection of her dysfunctional family - and represses emotions, deny reality, resort to violence and escapism, which ironically began the ordeal. The child, fearful of further rejection and abuse, refrains from further interaction. Instead, it builds its own kingdom of grandiose fantasies wherein it is always loved and self-sufficient. This is the narcissistic strategy which leads to the development of a narcissistic personality. Growing up and attaining maturity to adulthood, adolescents experience predicaments where jealousy is felt due to those who have achieved greater success ranging from
SHIMOTSU 4
school exams to promotions at work. Consequently, narcissists begin to feel the need to strive for high ambitions and devote themselves tirelessly to work.
On the other hand, Psychologists suspect that the cause of narcissism is severe mental or physical pain in childhood at the hands of a powerful, idealized mother-father figure. One theory proposes that the parents of...
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