Abhijit Naskar's Blog - Posts Tagged "narcissism"

Of all nations on earth,
No nation is the best.
Of all religions on earth,
No religion is the best.
Of all cultures on earth,
No culture is the best,
Of all colors on earth,
No color is the best.
Of all genders on earth,
No gender is the best,
Of all philosophies on earth,
No philosophy is the best.
The world is diverse for us to be strong,
By walking together we'll fly high and long.

Arrogance has its purpose, but first you gotta learn how to use it, so that it’s a force for good, rather than a primeval tendency of self-aggrandizing.

Let me tell you a story. I was traveling to deliver a talk. The driver friend picked me up at the airport and dropped me at a fancy hotel booked by the organizers. At the reception before me there was an elderly couple. From what I gathered, their daughter had booked a room for them, but they were having a little difficulty communicating it.

I could sense that the hotel people at the desk didn’t take them seriously to begin with, probably because they weren’t dressed fancy. I kept quiet.

Finally the elderly man and woman gave up. They lowered their heads in disappointment and turned around to walk out without checking in. And just as their backs were turned, I heard one of the receptionists make the remark, “village idiots!”

That’s it – I lost my cool! In that situation, at that moment, I felt as if my own parents were being treated like that.

I held the elderly gentleman by the wrist, marched up to the desk, and spoke.

“You think you are so fancy, don’t you – working at a fancy place in your fancy clothes and phony etiquette – so much so that you forgot to treat people like people!

You ridicule them because they don’t speak English.

Well, in that case, I speak more languages than you can count – then how should I treat you – you pathetic little tribal jerks!

It’s not enough to wear clean clothes, go home and wash your heart with some soap. Despite all that cologne, you stink!

You can manage a hotel, you can manage a business, but you don’t manage people, you treat them like family.”

I would’ve went on and on, but the elderly person stopped me. Don’t know whether the people at the reception realized their mistake, but by the look on their face they sure did feel small.

A moment later with a tinge of remorse and utter humility in voice, the other receptionist spoke. She apologized to the couple in their native tongue and finally helped them check in, without any miscommunication or frustration.

Oh, so many times have I heard,
Do you know who I am!
So today when I travel places,
I walk around as a total lamb!
There’s an immense relief,
In not flashing my name.
Windbags make all the noise,
Beings with character stay inane.
Be an elephant, strong yet gentle,
You observe more by being a dumbbell.
Blow your top when it’s really needed,
Otherwise, be good people among the people.
All roads lead to people, not to mythical Rome.
Names aloof from people have no living role.

Narcissism has a time and place, cold detachment has a time and place. Problem is, we’ve made a world out of narcissism and detachment, while hypocritically diagnosing them as clinical on one hand, and sugarcoating them as self-care or stoicism on the other. In reality, it’s all nonsense. When people are upset at you, with no fault of your own, or when they come to take away your dream, that’s when you gotta let detachment kick on. Likewise, when shallow nitwits commit harm in front of your eyes, that’s when you gotta exercise your narcissism, and treat them like a parent would treat their child when they’ve done something wrong. Even the ugliest of animal faculty can be used for good, when wielded with conscience. It’s about using the whole of your mind, rather than giving in to all the prehistoric intellectual dualities of narcissism and altruism, or attachment and detachment. When people are helpless, to them be a christ – but when they behave heartless instead, be the light to their lies.

I don’t need to play word games,
to say, impossible means I am possible;
my existence is epitome of the impossible.
I don’t make plans, I make purpose,
then the purpose plans me, into unstoppable.

Does that mean, loneliness doesn’t bother me,
Of course it does – it makes the torture worse.
Anybody who says, they enjoy loneliness,
is either lying or plain narcissistic retard.

But then again, just when I feel super gloomy,
I remember my responsibility to my world family.
Time and again, my purpose drags me out,
Electrifying my veins with incorruptible duty.

¡Viva la humanidad, viva la familia mundial!
Long live humanity, long live world family!
Whenever you are down, take refuge in purpose;
Your purpose will reawaken your invincibility.

I wear the same casual outfit everywhere,
pair of jeans with a shirt or tshirt –
people wear fancy clothes either to
look and feel good, or impress others,
I have no need for either, so I walk like beggar.

Vanity and validation are for the small of mind,
Himalayan Human has no need for cosmetic adornment.
The Sun is beyond the realms of humility and hubris,
I’m neither humble nor hubrous, just burning with mission.

I wear my backbone as battery, brain is my currency,
heart is my bedrock, character is my legacy.
I see neither man nor woman, I only see human;
I see neither rich nor poor, I only see behavior.

Savages are known by aristocratic opulence,
Sapiens is known by vagrant virtue-n-valiance.