Narcissism - the new religion ?

[Hazy111]

Article by Sam Vaknin in https://iai.tv/articles/narcissism-is-the-new-religion-auid-2220

Vaknin argues Narcissism is on the rise. Our civilization is elevating the self into the highest object of love. This new narcissism is morphing into a religion which threatens to consume not just the narcissist, but everything else around them. Sam Vaknin argues that unless we tame and control our narcissism, the consequences for our culture could be devastating.

[Starboard Song]

A note is appropriate about how we use the word narcissist around here.

Outside of this forum, someone may look at a guy who is always preening in the mirror, and thinks general comments are about him, and say "what a narcissist." They mean he is self-absorbed, or arrogant, or has either a surfeit of pride, or not enough and needs to be fed with praise. It's just a type of person, and isn't pathological or defining.

Around here, we often say "what a narcissist" to indicate "boy, that guy sure seems to have Narcissistic Personality Disorder." This is a pathological condition, exhibiting TOO MANY of the associated traits, TOO OFTEN, in a TOO SEVERE manner. And it commonly dominates their character.

But those are two entirely different concepts: to be narcissistic is not to have Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

I only observe this because Sam Vaknin proposes that we can go from being self-absorbed to a pathological version of narcissism. True enough, I suppose, but as one thinks about it, it is important that we not merge the two concepts due to our inaccurate language.

[SonofThunder]

Article by Sam Vaknin in https://iai.tv/articles/narcissism-is-the-new-religion-auid-2220

Vaknin argues Narcissism is on the rise. Our civilization is elevating the self into the highest object of love. This new narcissism is morphing into a religion which threatens to consume not just the narcissist, but everything else around them. Sam Vaknin argues that unless we tame and control our narcissism, the consequences for our culture could be devastating.

Hello Hazy111,

Using both your post and Starboard's careful words to keep concepts/terms separate I will make a comment based on the Bible, since that is the faith of my choice. 

I believe that Satan is a clever manipulator and with Adam and Eve, Satan manipulated them to take interest in a higher self-focus and desire not the original design of God in their proper relationship with him, but rather to self-acquire more than God's intent for mankind, opening up the knowledge of both good and evil and therefore using that knowledge for self-gain.  From that point forward, the Bible's storied teaching is filled with examples of humans taking advantage of others for the benefit of self.  Therefore, i believe that when mankind makes self/self-gain more important than their creator, then self has become a 'religion'. 

I also believe that continued advancements in human existence and technologies, allow mankind to capitalize even more at the expense of others, which both feeds, normalizes and breeds efficiency and ease in that self-focus.  I believe that as Satan continues his attack on God's creative masterpiece (humans and human families), combined with these ongoing increased efficiencies in self-focus over the progression of time, that combination sets the stage for ever-increasing percentages of dysfunctional homes and relationships. 

I also believe that increasing percentages of dysfunctional homes and relationships, as well as increases in broken homes, may yield a greater percentage increase of possible disorders, due to children under-developing within dysfunctional and/or broken homes. 

So again, as far as narcissism being a 'new' religion, my opinion is that it is actually very old;  as old as that very first family out of Eden. But, very rapidly becoming a worldwide mega-religion of 'self' in an ever-shrinking world by means of technology.  I also therefore believe that the percentages of underdeveloped, disordered individuals will steadily increase over time. 

SoT

[1footouttadefog]

Pride is mentioned in the Bible a great deal.  It is at the core of much sinfulness. 

The rejection of God and his Laws are often a result of pride.