Self Centered, Self Involved, Self DestructiveOlivia Stren on the self-love of narcissists
[Flare Magazine (Nov.10) - Excerpt]
"Narcissism is the dark side of individualism," says Campbell, who explains that while North American society has long celebrated the individual and the pursuit of happiness, narcissism is individualism run amok; if individualism is the character actor, narcissism is the reality TV star. "It's individualism without responsibilty, without a fundamental sense of equality - it gets easily perverted. The pursuit of happiness can go from liberty to doing whatever the hell you want. It's the idea of license versus liberty." [...]
Narcissists, tending to be charming and self-promotional, also have a talent for initiating shallow relationships - making sites such as Facebook a fantasyland for the everyday narcissist. Facebook may not have caused the epidemic, and may not have the power to turn the average user into a narcissist, but it serves as a playpen for narcissists, giving them the arena to do what they love: peacock and self-promote. "What we've found is that narcissistic people who use Facebook, use it as a way of maintaining their narcissism - to present themselves with highly attractive and provocative images. It allows people who are narcissistic to be narcissistic." In that sense, Facebook is to the narcissist, what the liquor store is to the alcoholic - it won't create one so much as fuel one. [...]
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