A Topical Malady

[Guest guest]

It's important to know whom to trust,

 

Don't you think?

 

 

 

Heard some say,

 

Don't trust the narcissistic--

 

 

Since their primary concern

 

Is not with the " truth "

 

(By their own definition)

 

 

 

But with their own Image

 

(By their own perception).

 

 

 

Literature on addiction

 

Supports this view,

 

Depicting the drug dependent

 

As typically deceptive and narcissistic.

 

 

 

Politicians are widely viewed

 

As deceptive and

 

Primarily concerned with

 

Image over truth.

 

 

 

Anyone whose major

 

Preoccupation is with

 

Appearing " right "

 

Would seem to fall under

 

This category of narcissism

 

 

 

Of course, we all have our ego:

 

All have our narcissistic tendencies.

 

 

 

But some seem to express this

 

Far less subtilely than others,

 

 

 

I've even heard of this world divided

 

Into (drug or any addiction)

 

" Dependents, " on the one hand, and

 

" Codependents, " their enablers, on the other.

 

 

 

The latter humble themselves,

 

Gushing love and affection,

 

In the vain hope of squeezing reciprocity

 

Out of the stone heart of the narcissist,

 

 

 

While the dependent narcissist

 

Struggles to assuage loveless low self esteem

 

Through self-aggrandizement.

 

 

Is this a sad depiction of the human

 

Condition, or merely an accurate

 

Description of a psychic economy

 

Which, like all economies,

 

Exists precisely as a result of

 

Inevitable inequality?

 

 

 

Love itself has been described as

 

The result of inequality:

 

 

 

Socrates' myth is that

 

Love is born of the relationship

 

Between wealth and want.

 

 

 

The economist Ricardo set forth his famous theory

 

Of comparative advantage,

 

Which could be taken to support

 

 

 

The view that a ruthless liar/narcissist

 

Should capitalize on deception and image

 

 

 

While a good, sanctimoniously honest enabler

 

Should capitalize on truthfulness and humility

 

 

 

Much of this is cultural.

 

 

 

America itself seems addicted

 

To it's own narcissistic image of exceptionalism,

 

Our politicians never admit when they're " wrong. "

 

 

 

Conversely, the Japanese, have been

 

Taught to humble themselves

 

When " wrong, " rather than

 

 

 

Humbling " the truth "

 

Beneath their ego, or

 

Image

 

 

 

But then,

 

Such self-humbling,

 

In Japan,

 

Does further one's

 

Image.

 

 

 

Whatever the case,

 

One is perhaps safer

 

Trusting the humble Japanese

 

Rather than the narcissistic American