Mad about myself?

Narcissus gazing at his own reflection

There I was minding my own business without disturbing anybody, quietly typing my two sens worth of worthless opinions which was not going to change the destiny of mankind but to provide light comic relief to my die-hard followers. Sometimes I do wonder if they are smiling (?laughing) with or at me!
Anyway, after last StarMag's column in the Sunday Star newspaper, my family members have unanimously decided that my appropriate place is in the loony bin. They have collectively diagnosed me to suffer from NPDS (Narcissistic Personality Disorder Syndrome). Sufferers of this disorder are said to be self-absorbed individuals who think very highly of themselves, put themselves on a self-made pedestal and forever think of themselves as being better than others and find gratification and satisfaction by other's praises.

That is the problem, isn't it? There is a thin line between ingenuity and lunacy. Some professions survive because of narcissistic attributes -  movie industry, beauty pageant, maybe law too! Modern society has also encouraged its young by praising their effort even if it is the most horrendous painting or singing. Blind criticism is discouraged as it retards imagination and the development of inner potentials. The child who has been thinking very highly of himself, not knowing where he actually stands because grading and placing is class is taboo (so old school). So, in a way, society actually encourages narcissism. On top of that, Western society encourages individualism. Everybody is talking about 'my right', 'my life', 'my wish', unlike the traditional Eastern cultures that were set to continue the status quo, to serve and care for the elders and society at large.

Anyway, modern medicine is known to create diseases that are non-existent. Oh, you are 80 and you don't have a good sex life - you must be having erectile dysfunction, then you will need Viagra. Oh, you are 70 and your knees ache, the synovial fluids must have reduced - you need Viatril-S. Oh, you are 60 and you have wrinkles - you need Botox. Oh, you are 50 and you have been eating like a pig all your life and your belly is hanging like an apron - you need a tummy tuck. And have you noticed how the recommended cholesterol levels at which medications are instituted have reduced over the years and the big drug companies are laughing all the way to the bank?

And how the medical (especially psychologists) have labelled certain defence mechanisms at various professions - e.g. murderers sublimate to be surgeons, robbers become bank tellers, sexual perverts become gynaecologists, people who find it hard to communicate with fellow humans become animal rights activists!

And do not forget how anyone who opposes the Kremlin is labelled as schizophrenic in the iron curtain days.

Well, anyone can say what they want. Don't worry die-hard followers, the hits will keep on rolling....like the number of new diseases that they are going to come up with!