I feel like these people are so self deluded because they don't see the big picture. Throw Elon Musk and other oligarchs and experts in there.
Plenty of hard working and competent people fail due to randomness and manipulative systems. We just don't hear about them as often. That's not a cop out but respect for the luck I've had along with my work ethic.
I suspect these people suffer from what Iain McGilchrist wrote about. Narcissism may very well be the inability to properly see reality whether it be their success or their ideals.
From chapter 4 of Ian McGilchrist 's book The Matter with Things:
"One related difference between right and left prefrontal cortex activation is that the left dominates where belief bias points to the correct conclusion, and, by contrast, the right dominates where it does not. Belief bias is in fact generally associated with the left hemisphere, not with the right hemisphere."
Also chapter 4
"To put it crudely, the right hemisphere is our bullshit detector. It is better at avoiding nonsense when asked to believe it, but it is also better at avoiding falling prey to local prejudice and just dismissing rational argument because the argument does not happen to agree with that prejudice"
This is an excellent piece and so very true. For many who aren't narcissistic don't have the lack of empathy to use others etc for their own gain. Narcissistic people have audacity and the drive to consistently feed the ego no matters the consequence to others. Truly this toxic attitude can also be attributed to the New Age, New thought movement following the industrial revolution that insists that only those who " Think Correctly" succeed. Disembodied rhetoric and the disdain for anyone who truly from maybe no fault of their own have been unlucky or abused and traumatized. As I always say....No one is entitled but we all are accountable.
I think it is also important to point out what happiness is really. Most of the people think buying ton of useless material items is happiness so that is success.
For me success is that you have money to buy good food and have a lot of free time to spend with family.
Excellent article. And it came at the right time for me, because it dawned on me recently that all the free and cheap labour I've put in for my sister's projects through the years, is not acknowledged as part of her success at all. And now my back is screwed so I can't help her anymore, but she's like "I have a bad back too, but it doesn't stop me. Don't be so negative all the time". I'm about to implode, so I just had to throw it out somewhere. Thank you 🙃
This makes sense. I would always think that the reason why I didn't get a perfect score or a score I was expecting because I didn't do everything right or that I missed something or I overslept but God knows how hard I worked and yet the results are good only or just satisfactory
An update. I finally won gold on this competition I've always been participating and on the third time I got blessed to have won first. This got me thinking I worked as hard back then when I won second and third but I didn't acknowledged myself as much and it made me really think and say to myself that I was and am proud of those young me. So please don't associate success with working hard, let hard work be hard work regardless of the outcome
Excellent observations.
I feel like these people are so self deluded because they don't see the big picture. Throw Elon Musk and other oligarchs and experts in there.
Plenty of hard working and competent people fail due to randomness and manipulative systems. We just don't hear about them as often. That's not a cop out but respect for the luck I've had along with my work ethic.
I suspect these people suffer from what Iain McGilchrist wrote about. Narcissism may very well be the inability to properly see reality whether it be their success or their ideals.
From chapter 4 of Ian McGilchrist 's book The Matter with Things:
"One related difference between right and left prefrontal cortex activation is that the left dominates where belief bias points to the correct conclusion, and, by contrast, the right dominates where it does not. Belief bias is in fact generally associated with the left hemisphere, not with the right hemisphere."
Also chapter 4
"To put it crudely, the right hemisphere is our bullshit detector. It is better at avoiding nonsense when asked to believe it, but it is also better at avoiding falling prey to local prejudice and just dismissing rational argument because the argument does not happen to agree with that prejudice"
https://iainmcgilchrist.substack.com/p/metaphors-can-make-you-blind
https://robc137.substack.com/p/left-brain-vs-whole-brain-in-battlestar
Exactly. Thank you for the added context and for the links.
This is an excellent piece and so very true. For many who aren't narcissistic don't have the lack of empathy to use others etc for their own gain. Narcissistic people have audacity and the drive to consistently feed the ego no matters the consequence to others. Truly this toxic attitude can also be attributed to the New Age, New thought movement following the industrial revolution that insists that only those who " Think Correctly" succeed. Disembodied rhetoric and the disdain for anyone who truly from maybe no fault of their own have been unlucky or abused and traumatized. As I always say....No one is entitled but we all are accountable.
Excellent. Thank you. You got exactly my point and added valuable context too.
Good one as usual.
I think it is also important to point out what happiness is really. Most of the people think buying ton of useless material items is happiness so that is success.
For me success is that you have money to buy good food and have a lot of free time to spend with family.
Excellent point. Perhaps exploring different meanings of happiness merits a dedicated post.
Thanks.
Well laid out.
And a bit humbling, I have seen a glimpse of this behaviour in myself when I have had success.
As I matured I became more aware of this proclivity.
My random encounter with this article has helped me better understand myself.
If you are into movies check out Rueben and Ed, it comically portrays this well.
Thank you, Bart. I'll check the movie. I trust your taste.
Only if you want to laugh, though.
I found in on YouTube.
Excellent article. And it came at the right time for me, because it dawned on me recently that all the free and cheap labour I've put in for my sister's projects through the years, is not acknowledged as part of her success at all. And now my back is screwed so I can't help her anymore, but she's like "I have a bad back too, but it doesn't stop me. Don't be so negative all the time". I'm about to implode, so I just had to throw it out somewhere. Thank you 🙃
Thank you. I hope it gives you some actionable insight….
This makes sense. I would always think that the reason why I didn't get a perfect score or a score I was expecting because I didn't do everything right or that I missed something or I overslept but God knows how hard I worked and yet the results are good only or just satisfactory
An update. I finally won gold on this competition I've always been participating and on the third time I got blessed to have won first. This got me thinking I worked as hard back then when I won second and third but I didn't acknowledged myself as much and it made me really think and say to myself that I was and am proud of those young me. So please don't associate success with working hard, let hard work be hard work regardless of the outcome
Thankyou , excellent analysis and I love the art
Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you liked both the words and the visuals.
👏👏👏