[extropy-chat] TechnologyReview joins anti-transhumanists

[Damien Broderick]

At 02:02 PM 1/13/2005 -0800, Mike wrote:
>
> > `Narcissism', for what it's worth, is the psychiatric label for
> > basing your self-estimate on the way other people regard you (as
> > Narcissus fell in love with what he took to be the face of another
> > gazing back at him in a mirrored pond).
>
>Uh, no, Damien. The common understanding of this myth is that Narcissus
>had excessive self-love, which is what narcissism is classified as by
>pshrinks.

I'm asserting that this is the common *mis*understanding. but I wn't insist 
on these for fear of appearing narcissistic. :)

http://www.halcyon.com/jmashmun/npd/dsm-iv.html

has some simplified translations of the DSM IV category, e.g.:


1. An exaggerated sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements 
and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate 
achievements)

Translation: Grandiosity is the hallmark of narcissism. So what is grandiose?

The simplest everyday way that narcissists show their exaggerated sense of 
self-importance is by talking about family, work, life in general as if 
there is nobody else in the picture. Whatever they may be doing, in their 
own view, they are the star, and they give the impression that they are 
bearing heroic responsibility for their family or department or company, 
that they have to take care of everything because their spouses or 
co-workers are undependable, uncooperative, or otherwise unfit.

...

3. Believes he is "special" and can only be understood by, or should 
associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)

Translation: Narcissists think that everyone who is not special and 
superior is worthless. By definition, normal, ordinary, and average aren't 
special and superior, and so, to narcissists, they are worthless.

4. Requires excessive admiration

Translation: Excessive in two ways: they want praise, compliments, 
deference, and expressions of envy all the time, and they want to be told 
that everything they do is better than what others can do. Sincerity is not 
an issue here; all that matter are frequency and volume.

[This latter is relevant to what I was saying. As is:]


The preferred theory seems to be that narcissism is caused by very early 
affective deprivation, yet the clinical material tends to describe 
narcissists as unwilling rather than unable, thus treating narcissistic 
behaviors as volitional -- that is, narcissism is termed a personality 
disorder, but it tends to be discussed as a character disorder.


[Not being loved in infancy creates, on this model, a dreadful yearning for 
acknowledgement by a heedless world, often leading to bouts of depression. 
One way to compensate is grandiose delusions of self-worth. But these are 
generally self-corrosive when they are not based on reality. Luckily, most 
of the geniuses on this list are at no risk of this sad fate.]

Damien Broderick