Me, Me, Me!

The French, incongruously and incredibly as it may sound, have a saying "The self is detestable" (Le moi est haisable, with two dots over the i, something my iPhone can't deal with for the moment). The Vietnamese who were introduced to that distant offshoot of Latin came up with a close, pithy approximation of translation (cai toi dang ghet) which denounces preoccupation with oneself, a practice and phenom also known with an learned, elegant word narcissism. I find all these turning downs of narcissism a turn-off.

I like narcissism. I glorify it. I wallow in it. I strongly believe most works of art and even of science have deep roots in the celebration of the superiority of the self over the humdrum, humbug mediocrity of the masses.

Yes, sir, I know there is a short step between narcissism and megalomania. And I am not sure if megalomania is even that bad as long as the person who is afflicted with that mindset can deliver. At any rate, inferiority complex and self-hatred and self-doubt have proven to be more pernicious than narcissism and megalomania because the former block any attempts of self-expression.

What's about old-fashioned virtues like humility and modesty? Aren't they better than narcissism and megalomania? It depends. Humility and modesty are certainly more conducive to smoother social relations and definitely not jarring and offensive to tender sensibilities if they are genuine and heart-felt. The reality is that very few humans are genuinely humble and modest because very few humans have the hearts and souls of angels and wise men. Humans mostly are emotional and given to outward expressions of their emotions. In addition, they have a strong need to seek affirmation and validation of their worth, hence a constant push for narcissism and megalomania. Just look at the size and shape of monuments and public buildings. Look also at the extremes and excesses of human behavior. Humans are the animals who constantly explore the limits and boundaries. Self-satisfaction is not the norm. Restless exploration of frontiers is in the DNA.