Understanding Narcissism

[Edwardo Piet]

We should be our true selves, more specifically. Rather than project our false selves: And that advice only applies to NPD.

I don't have NPD, I'm always my true self. I'm just a very silly turtle.

[Excited Penguin]

You mean express your true self as opposed to false self to someone you feel comfortable with -- and consider trustworthy enough towards -- to do so?

More particularly, to anyone...everyone..not just people you trust or feel comfortable with.  You do need...to get hurt, to feel that, to make yourself okay with it, if you want to climb out of the hole.  There's just no reason to misrepresent yourself to people.  You can decide not to represent yourself at all rather than make shit up or embellish what it is, for whatever reason.  I mean, unless you just want to fuck with them because it's funny or they deserve it, or it might get you layed.  "Hey baby, I'm an astronaut, wanna see my spaceship?".  

Hmm. I never knew falling in love with someone could cure narcissism!

It can't..but we're talking about NPD, remember..not narcissism...and btw, it's difficult to fall in love woith someone if you never truly tell them who you are.  Imagine that you pull it off.  It;s a life sentence confined to the cell of your own making - now you've actually got to -be- that motherfucker you kept telling people you -were-.  What happens when she finds out you're not...and are you really so damned good at what you do that it will never happen?  Such is the internal paranoia of the afflicted....driving them..ultimately, to double and triple down on their disorder.  I -narrowly- escaped that..I was desperately trying to get myself hitched to my highschool sweetheart at the time.  She never knew me, I never gave her the chance to.  It would have been even worse after my break.  Hell, I did end up marrying my counselor, which we both agreed...long after all the subsequent tears and child I never see, that this may not have been a very good idea.  

It;s best, imo, to think about love, or pursue love, if/when you have a handle on NPD, if you've been diagnosed with it.  Jumping the gun on that is a recipe for misery for all parties involved.  Start small..with -actual- friends, lol.

Rhythm, that's not what love is. Well, not what love love is. The kind of love poems speak of catches you unawares. You never ever have a choice in the matter. Believe me. You can try to love a person as much as you want, it doesn't work like that.

[Edwardo Piet]

Love is a delicious vicarious experience through the eyes of another where you are able to see their beauty through their eyes even if they themselves are not able to see it in themselves. Or something. It's profoundly ecstatic vicarious phenomenological ecstasy. Or whatever.

[Excited Penguin]

Sounds like you've never played against me before I changed my game just the last time. Just ask people the sheer crazy I put them through.

When we meet on the field of mafia, as we inevitably must one day....I will crush your scummy ass, and you will remember the day you dared to contest the turtley supremacy of my comrade.

I'm not daring anything, if I ever play again. See, I changed my mafia personality completely last game I played.

[The Grand Nudger]

Rhythm, that's not what love is. Well, not what love love is. The kind of love poems speak of catches you unawares. You never ever have a choice in the matter. Believe me. You can try to love a person as much as you want, it doesn't work like that.

Right, okay...and I;m not disagreeing with you here...and remember that my comments were directly aimed at people who have NPD, -that- situation...but if love finds you unawares...and you're deep in the grips of it (this disorder)...then it's just best to pass, as difficult and as painful as that may be. You will..not might..will...fuck it up, fuck yourself up, fuck them up... you will hate yourself for it, they will hate you for it...and all of this hate will be completely justifiable.

Te amo, por que in mis mil y una noches de ensueño,
jamás contigo yo soñe.

-Luis Torres

I get it, I get it...lol. I didn't see my wife coming either...I mean, literally, I was so drunk that I just saw a red shape moving in my direction suggestively. Fucking loved that dress! Just tossing it out there as advice to a lurker or as info for interested folks.

[Excited Penguin]

Sounds like you've never played against me before I changed my game just the last time. Just ask people the sheer crazy I put them through.

I caused a bigger shitstorm than you did in the game we played.  Some people even said I was to blame more than you were. Even though you're the clusterfuck-causing people-enraging penguin than you are. I got more negative attention and you asked to be replaced whilst I stayed and got to annoy people some more. I got more Narcissistic Supply than you did: neener neener, neener neener. The difference is: I don't have to try and I can do both super nice and lovely and caring and annoying as fuck. I am almost 8 years older than you though so I have more experience at being an emotional vampire.

1-0 to me.

I'm not going to dispute that except to say we can stop being friends now(don't pm me either).

Yes, I'm serious. Good luck, Ham.

[purplepurpose]

Those guys bought me so many laughts, even if they are extremely narcissistic, we need those kind of really funny clowns.

[Excited Penguin]

Narcs supposedly have no empathy... I can't believe Rhianna would have no empathy but I may be biased because she's so fucking sexy and seems like a nice person.

Yeah, she's good looking so she must be a good person. Lul wat?

To be fair, being good looking can be a great motivator to be good to people.

[Excited Penguin]

Let me just take the time to interject here, and ask a serious question.  Can a man not get into the motherfucking hall of wit and epicness............

I would seriously hate it for you to get there partly because of this post. You do know that would mean the post that made it there wasn't all that great on its own, right?

You have to earn it, Rhythm. It has to be natural.

[Excited Penguin]

In that context, as it turns out, the infantry just wasnt the best fit for me...because it breeds and reinforces the very things that ultimately manifested themselves as a disorder.  We're -trained- to think we're better than everyone else.  That we're different..hell..that we can't die.  No one who honestly considers that can rush a pillbox.  It demands that we assume the mask as who we are...rewards us for it...and punishes us for any lapse in that character.  I want to write a book about it...but I just don;t know if what I have to say is worthwhile or could -fill- a book.  I;ve wanted to do so since reading "The Things They Carried" - particularly the chapter "How to Tell a True War Story" -which you can find online for free..if you're a reader.

"It was a -love- story, you silly cooze"

To the above...you might need to reread the comments.  We're advocating for the same thing.  It was bullshit, not to be myself, but that's what NPD is about, the projection and maintenance of a false self, and how that negatively impacts your life and the lives of those around you.

I did read the comments, I made a mistake. Anyway, even with NPD, I'm sure the same doesn't apply universally.

As for writing a book, I'd recommend writing fiction and unleashing your insanity on the creative process, that way you can be artistic, original and interesting at the same time.