Person I know was attending recently a mandatory training session at a well known university. Session was led by trainers not themselves employees of the university, folks who self-identified as experts. Before the training got underway the experts asked of each attendee their “preferred pronoun.”
According to my contact, there were no mismatches between each person’s sex and their admitted English pronoun. Odd, though: nobody rebelled against the intrusion. Anyway, as regular readers know, I would have announced, “When speaking to me, it’s ‘your majesty’; when speaking of me, it’s ‘his majesty’.” After the nervous laughter subsided I would have insisted I was in earnest.
Regular readers also no longer wonder why Old Briggs is so unemployable. But ignore that painful subject and consider what it means to pretend to be what you are not, and then ask whether you can be what you are not.
Some Englishmen in 1940 self-identified, to those who would ask, as Germans. These spies were anxious not to be identified as who they truly were. Many spies, especially those who were double-agents, later reported that at times they were confused as to who they really were. Marlon Brando self-identified, at times, as Vito Corleone, an olive oil importer. Brando was a “method actor”, a technique which calls for the actor to give himself over to the character he will play so that he “becomes” that character.
Add to that list con men, politicians, used car salesmen, college administrators, and so forth, persons living lives pretending to be something other than what they are.
Well, there’s the answer. We can’t use pretending without acknowledging an underlying reality. You can’t pretend if there is no truth; the word would be without any sense. An English spy is a spy because he isn’t a German. An actor is not the characters he plays but is an actor. And everybody knows these things.
Shaun King and Rachel Dolezal are white but self-identify as black. Now either there is a real human state of being black or there isn’t. If there is, then obviously King and Dolezal, since they are white, are pretending or delusional. If there is no such human state of being black, if race is as some insist a “social construction”, then King and Dolezal, since they are part of society and thus help construct it, are black if they say they are. But then, since there is no such human state of being black, they are not black because there is no such thing. Either way, they are pretending or delusional.
The person pictured above (in the middle) self-identifies as a 6-year-old girl. I don’t think we need to argue whether such a state as being 6-years-old exists, but there might be some evidence required to prove that there is such as state as being female, but that is only because too many people believe what they’re taught at modern universities. Skip that. The person is in fact a 52-year-old man. So he too is either pretending or delusional.
The same thus holds for those men who, with the help of surgery and cosmetics or whatever, self-identify as women. Since being female is a true state, and these men are not female, they are either pretending or delusional.
Now we used to put people who claimed to be Napoleon and the like, and who were not pretending but who were delusional, in quiet spots until they either got over their delusions or until they were judged to be of no harm to themselves or others. Some of those who were harmless were even indulged in their delusions, at times, but those doing the indulging knew the truth; which is to say, the indulgent were pretending. The indulgent were not themselves delusional. Of course, some innocent folks were sometimes fooled into thinking the delusional person was actually who the delusional person claimed to be. Not everybody has the time or energy to check the claims of every delusional persson. But when and if the fooled persons discovered the truth, they either became indulgent or the spoke the truth.
The key is this: in times of yore we did not require, by force of law, regulation, or custom, indulgence. But now there are such demands. If you refuse to share in another’s delusion, or even if you refuse to play in somebody’s game of pretend, it is you who are “troubled.” It is you who must undergo counseling or who are in need of those who self-identify as mental health professionals.
Since there are actual states of being this-many-years-old, being black, being male, being the yak king, and the like, it means the law must force people to deny reality; to make, in effect, reality illegal. In other words, we are forcing ourselves into a state of mass delusion or make believe.
Why is the guy (?) on the left side apparently strangling a cat (?) and seems to be very happy about it?
Psychiatrists can all go home now. Mental illness no longer exists and anyone who mentions it should be loudly and vehemently told how wrong they are and that the person can be whatever they want to be. There should be no reason to pay a person to cure what does not exist. (Yes, I know, medical science does it too but that’s for another day.) “Cures” must be replaced with “re-education”, indicating there is no disease, just a stubborn person who needs beaten into submission.
Even a complete fool would understand that the removal of reality is the precursor to taking over a society, or more accurately, what remains of it. Delusional behaviour made normal will make world wars look like children’s war games. I should note that there is zero chance most of these individuals actually are delusional—they are playing the system for they can and stupid/power hungary people are encouraging it. People just love to destroy themselves and often brag about it. Humans are stupid so much of the time, I might actually be tempted to by that there is no God because who puts up with such utter stupidity and disdain for real the world for this long? Best to toss the whole experiment in the trash where it belongs. Besides, everyone can pretend it’s not the trash, right? (I said tempted.)
WHO IS BATMAN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YywL43-xu8
I’M BATMAN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9G18qHPhcM
I’M BATMAN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgb1owOtnNk
I need help finding myself.
I’m either Shakespeare or Churchill?
So I must be a woman trapped in a man’s body?
No a man trapped in a woman’s body.
Let’s get real, I’m a fairy and will never be anything more.
I like therefore I am.
Well, you may be the Yak King (always yakking), but…
I am he as you are he as you are me
And we are all together
See how they run like pigs from a gun
See how they fly
I’m crying
Sitting on a cornflake
Waiting for the van to come
Corporation T-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday
Man you’ve been a naughty boy
You let your face grow long
I am the eggman
They are the eggmen
I am the walrus
Goo goo g’ joob
Mr. City policeman sitting
Pretty little policemen in a row
See how they fly like Lucy in the sky
See how they run
I’m crying
I’m crying, I’m crying, I’m crying
Yellow matter custard
Dripping from a dead dog’s eye
Crabalocker fishwife
Pornographic priestess
Boy, you’ve been a naughty girl
You let your knickers down
I am the eggman
They are the eggmen
I am the walrus
Goo goo g’ joob
Sitting in an English garden
Waiting for the sun
If the sun don’t come you get a tan
From standing in the English rain
I am the eggman
(“How do you do sir”)
They are the eggmen
(“The man maintains a fortune”)
I am the walrus
Goo goo g’ joob Goo Goo Goo g’ joob
Expert, texpert choking smokers
Don’t you think the joker laughs at you
(Ho ho ho hee hee hee hah hah hah)
See how they smile like pigs in a sty
See how they snide
I’m crying
Semolina Pilchard
Climbing up the Eiffel tower
Elementary penguin singing Hare Krishna
Man, you should have seen them kicking
Edgar Allen Poe
I am the eggman
They are the eggmen
I am the walrus
Goo goo g’ joob
Goo goo goo g’ joob
Goo goo g’ joob
Goo goo goo g’ joob
Goo goo
Juba juba juba
Juba juba juba
Juba juba juba
Juba juba
Seems more appropriate every day.
JOHN Bo
There’s only one true batman.
you can’t both be batman!
one of you is deluded.
I also thought AAMilne’s “When We Were Young” and “Now We Are Six”
Then I actually watched the thing
Then one day the granddaughter of his adopted mummy and daughter who turned seven (while he’s eight) said “I want you to be my little sister … so now I’m nine” (S)He said “No, now I’m six!”
Only my delusions are acceptable :: Strawberry Fields Forever
Joy
I think I just answered your query:
“Only my delusions are acceptable”
This self-identification stuff is too solipsistic. What about the other? Why not indirect identification? You know, like quantum entanglement meets self-identification meets the Cretan Liar Paradox…
“I self-identify as someone who does not recognize your self-identification.”
“I self-identify as someone who sees you as a fraud and yet knows that I am right.”
For more fun, bring in 3rd parties.
Sheri,
Do you mean I should throw away my old copy of the American Psychiatric Association’s publication, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders? It’s no longer valid?
Fr. John Rickert: I like that idea!
Ray: There’s some question of if it ever was valid, but today it certainly is not. If it were, the “gentleman” pictured above would be undergoing treatment, not flaunting his disorder.
I reject the idea that a 6 year-old little girl has enough experience and maturity to determine their self-identity in a non-traditional manner (and anyone who accepts the idea should be knocked alongside the head for being stupid). Therefor if a 52 year- old man self- identifies as a 6 year-old girl they are by their own admission incapable of self-identifying as anything other than a 52 year-old man.
Sheri,
Exactly. What’s even scarier is that it doesn’t look like the profession has given up on the idea that reality is a real, observable thing to compare thoughts to. It’s that they flipped the two around.
They’ll still be happy to call religious people mentally ill because our beliefs don’t conform with their inner reality.
max: http://metro.co.uk/2015/12/07/boy-6-becomes-britains-youngest-transgender-child-after-mum-found-him-trying-to-cut-off-his-willy-5549667/
There are at least two six year olds in the US, one in Colorado and one in Texas, that are “transgender”. This would seem to be a clear cut case of child abuse by the parent but since we live in Wonderland, it’s called normal.
The Daily Caller story + video instantly made me think of Phil Hartman’s “Susan” character on SNL.
https://youtu.be/bl6z03A5zRs
sheri (and whoever else is interested). Again, Science-fiction is an accurate predictor of future trends. You know the old saying–when the inmates run the asylum? Well, there was an SF story in which particular psychotic traits were selected for appropriate governmental offices; I don’t recall the exact match, but it went something like, paranoic for Secretary of Defense, manic-depressive for Secretary of the Treasury (to keep things cyclic, I guess) um so weiter. What psychotic or neurotic trait do we need for President? Or is that already being shown in public opinion polls?
Bob :
Are those self-identified traits?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eawL6aJ2nBc
OH how appropriate :: “You’ve been living like a little girl!”
Bob: The presidency has always required a huge dose of narcissism. No one wants to a run a country out of the goodness of their heart—at least not for very long. Current occupant displays more of the trait than most, but I cannot think of any president in the last century that did not possess that trait.
(I don’t know if psychotic actually applies to mental illness anymore. Being out of touch with reality seems to be something that is desired, rather than indicating a mental illness.)
For those who don’t want to YouTube
I self-identify as the God of Hell fire
FIRE by Robert Brown
I am the god of hell fire, and I bring you
Fire, I’ll take you to burn
Fire, I’ll take you to learn
I’ll see you burn
You fought hard and you saved and earned
But all of it’s going to burn
And your mind, your tiny mind
You know you’ve really been so blind
Now ‘s your time, burn your mind
You’re falling far too far behind
Oh no, oh no, oh no, you’re gonna burn
Fire, to destroy all you’ve done
Fire, to end all you’ve become
I’ll feel you burn
You’ve been living like a little girl
In the middle of your little world
And your mind, your tiny mind
You know you’ve really been so blind
Now ‘s your time, burn your mind
You’re falling far too far behind
OOhhh
Fire, I’ll take you to burn
Fire, I’ll take you to learn
You’re gonna burn, you’re gonna burn
You’re gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn
Fire, I’ll take you to burn
Fire, I’ll take you to learn
Fire, I’ll take you to bed
For more information about Arthur Brown, go to I am the god of hell fire, and I bring you
Fire, I’ll take you to burn
Fire, I’ll take you to learn
I’ll see you burn
You fought hard and you saved and earned
But all of it’s going to burn
And your mind, your tiny mind
You know you’ve really been so blind
Now ‘s your time, burn your mind
You’re falling far too far behind
Oh no, oh no, oh no, you’re gonna burn
Fire, to destroy all you’ve done
Fire, to end all you’ve become
I’ll feel you burn
You’ve been living like a little girl
In the middle of your little world
And your mind, your tiny mind
You know you’ve really been so blind
Now ‘s your time, burn your mind
You’re falling far too far behind
OOhhh
Fire, I’ll take you to burn
Fire, I’ll take you to learn
You’re gonna burn, you’re gonna burn
You’re gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn
Fire, I’ll take you to burn
Fire, I’ll take you to learn
Fire, I’ll take you to bed
JohnB()…. at least one was, the one who explained why this was a good thing to the “sane” person who was going to blow the whistle..
Sheri…well, there’s naricissism and narcissism. I recommend the following video for one example…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU_Jdts5rL0
Relative to the overall population, the number of men who want to be women or the number of women who want to be men, is very small. I’m not sure why Dr Brigg’s has so much angst over the issue. I expect for most of us, the mandatory seminar is about sensitivity to such individuals, given the fact that they are, as some would argue, ‘messed up’.
There seems to be plenty of evidence out there that men more often attack speakers rather than actually engaging in a discussion. Name-calling and nastiness runs in the male genome, it seems. Best not to converse with that type, even when they attempt to engage. Bye Bye.
Who’s on first.
What !!!
No, What’s on second.
Narcissism is a psychopathology overused and rather fashionable. It’s just too tempting to throw anyone with high self esteem into the same bin. Like the overuse of “phobia” as a suffix for a dislike. Sometimes just the wiff of negativity can land a person in the phobia bin.
Just say what you think. You think!
Trump’s a big head.
It looks big in that costume but the “siFi” geek propagandist who cooked it up didn’t have to dub the words because he’s wearing a mask, so not that clever really. More fairies please.
“When speaking to me, it’s ‘your majesty’”
Funny thing is, I once pulled that off (I was at an extremely SJW-infested university during an introduction session), with those exact words. A got some chuckles, but nobody suspected that I might be a crime-thinking bigot.
Joy: I didn’t mean narcissist tendencies are always a bad thing in a leader. As noted, it is a necessary part of wanting to be president. It is about the person, but if it’s only about the person, that’s a problem. Leaders should care about the cause they lead, as well as about themselves.
This is what the DSM says for the “official” diagnosis:
“DSM-5 criteria for narcissistic personality disorder include these features:
• Having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
• Expecting to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it
• Exaggerating your achievements and talents
• Being preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate
• Believing that you are superior and can only be understood by or associate with equally special people
• Requiring constant admiration
• Having a sense of entitlement
• Expecting special favors and unquestioning compliance with your expectations
• Taking advantage of others to get what you want
• Having an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others
• Being envious of others and believing others envy you
• Behaving in an arrogant or haughty manner
Although some features of narcissistic personality disorder may seem like having confidence, it’s not the same. Narcissistic personality disorder crosses the border of healthy confidence into thinking so highly of yourself that you put yourself on a pedestal and value yourself more than you value others.”
People with high self esteem do not always behave in ways listed for narcissism—and a narcissist cares about no one but themselves. In a leader, narcissism means they don’t care if they destroy that which they lead as long as they can get personal benefit out of the experience. It’s all about them.
Narcissism is not a mental illness unless it’s harming you. Obama is a narcissist as is, probably, Donald Trump. It hasn’t been harmful to their life styles or careers. Someone I know is a narcissist and it is harmful to her relationships, although it hasn’t caused divorce or other long term estrangements. Hence I wouldn’t consider it pathological. If you’re going to quote the DSM5 you should at least understand that rather critical distinction.
His Majesty (Briggs the Yak King) wrote: “I would have announced, “When speaking to me, it’s ‘your majesty’; when speaking of me, it’s ‘his majesty’.” After the nervous laughter subsided I would have insisted I was in earnest.
“Regular readers also no longer wonder why Old Briggs is so unemployable. ”
I did this once at a college-student led meeting that started off with that same “what is your preferred pronoun” question. Right down to the Your Majesty, His Majesty, His Majesty’s.
Everyone accepted the answer, without laughter or commenting that I didn’t “play by the rules,” and I did not have to insist that I was in earnest. I was impressed with them.
However, I actually identify as a major deity (and have since high school): He, Him, His, but I didn’t think the students would have appreciated the additional hubris.
Come to think of it, I am also unemployed. Which is unexpected, since my past jobs have usually entailed performing miracles, and miracles are my specialty. Wine anyone?
I’m quite clear about what is meant by the pejorative; what is intended by people who bandy the insult about and what it has now come to mean. I’m not sure which is the worst syndrome the one where the poor unfortunate is labeled intractably narcissistic or the syndrome of labelling others. This is one of the problems with psychology. It’s like voodoo. Don’t medicalise an insult. Don’t kid a kidder. It’s too much like the abuse of medical science, to score political points a trait to which some of us have now become allergic.
Not sure king Yak would’t find this treason but I did some googling and came across this man. He’s speaking for men. I always said that the antidote to a lot of the claptrap of feminism and “gender studies” would have to come from a woman or a gay man. They are the ones that are afforded the cloak of sincerity and are not binned with the “phobics” or misogynists.
I only listened half way but he makes valid points. Ignore the triple letter abbreviations. Try listening with eyes closed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH6txXaupLM
Joy: Okay, I will attempt not to set you off with conversations on medical and psychological traits. Perhaps if you could tell me what term you prefer to “narcissistic”, that might help. Technically, the term is applied both inside and outside of psychology and does not always refer to neurosis, though it seems some interpret the term in only one way. I use such terms because they are what I am familiar with. I rarely mean them in the true diagnostic sense. Anyway, I shall remember that you are vehemently opposed to the usage and expect to be chastised any time I fail to find a suitable substitute.
Considering that the original question from Bob was “What neurotic or psychotic trait do we need in a president?” based on SciFi, I don’t see any way around answering the question without using the psychological diagnostic meanings in this case.
All: I realized last night watching a TV show that Briggs comments are very correct. There have always been transsexuals and those males who dressed in drag. Women can’t dress in drag—they already dress like men and cut their hair like men. They are exempt from this. I always loved watching men in drag—I think because they could walk in 6 inch heels and I couldn’t. Even my ulltra-religious mother never found the men in drag offensive—probably because everyone knew they were MEN in drag. No one pretended this was normal. No one demanded we call it a life-style and approve of it. There was complete honesty in much of it. Maybe it was a cover for the actual belief, no one ever told, but it wasn’t offensive that way. The problem now is the demand that everyone believe the lies.
I’m not set off or on.
I just argued a point about the abuse of the word.
It is as valid as calling someone homophobic, Islamphobic, ad nauseam.
The point wasn’t aimed at a person. There are several comments referring to
narcissism and what is discussed at the top of the post is self identification.
Somehow Trump came up trumps, as he will always do.
Some years ago when Obama hadn’t won the white house for the first time I
described him as a narcissist. It makes one feel better but it’s naughty.
Obama IS a narcissist, in the clinical sense. He sees only himself and cares about no one but himself. He gave nuclear weapons to Iran to cement his “legacy”. He changes positions to be sure he “wins” every time. He’s also a pathological liar, again, in the clinical sense. Trump is neither of these. He’s arrogant and self-assured, but he does not fit the clinical definition of a narcissist.
That would have to be the ugliest 6-year old girl I have ever seen. Maybe if someone told him, ‘Now look here, you may think you are a six year old girl, but just take a look in the mirror and tell me what you see staring back at you’. I know, that probably wouldn’t work, because people who are seriously deluded (like all of those global warming idiots) will go to extraordinary lengths to dismiss contrary evidence, but it just might plant some seed of doubt in this person’s very confused mind.
Sheri, where is your evidence that (President) Obama is any of the things you say he is above?
And yes, why is that cat being strangled?
Peter A: Watch him—his behaviour fits virtually all the criteria for narcissism, the clinical type. Of no psychologist would dare actually officially say this, so the only thing there is to go by is Obama’s behaviour and the definition. If the definition fits, wear it. Since psychology is not really science but more of an opinion, there will be no definitive answer to this. Supporters will say he’s not a narcissist. The rest of the country is divided. You’re asking for evidence for my opinion—I just observe his behaviour. As I said, if the definition fits, wear it.
It’s hard to say if the “six-year-old girl” actually sees himself as such or not. For example, does he have to shave? If so, does he think all six year old girls shave?
“Obama IS a narcissist, in the clinical sense. He sees only himself and cares about no one but himself”
That’s not the clinical definition of narcissism. Although it is a definition of narcissism, in a popular sense. It only becomes ‘clinical’ if it is harming the person who has it. You can’t argue its harmed Obama personally. Very likely it’s what’s made him very successful in life.
Ignoring the troll. Ignoring the troll. Ignoring the troll.
Sheri, I have observed his behaviour, and there is nothing narcissitic about it.
1. inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity.
Synonyms: self-centeredness, smugness, egocentrism.
2. Psychoanalysis. erotic gratification derived from admiration of one’s own physical or mental attributes, being a normal condition at the infantile level of personality development.
From: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/narcissism
“Since psychology is not really science but more of an opinion, there will be no definitive answer to this. Supporters will say he’s not a narcissist. The rest of the country is divided. You’re asking for evidence for my opinion—I just observe his behaviour. As I said, if the definition fits, wear it.”
I believe I stated there is only opinion. You are entitled to your opinion and I to mine. There is no exact science here—no narcissism gene or germ that one can test for. It’s just opinions.
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