otoh

The ad is nearly a half-page in the magazine I’m reading. A large white box with a thin black double outline and black text in the center: “Stop being narcissistic.” Then in much smaller type at the bottom is the web address www.endyournarcissism.com.

So the first thing I’m wondering is: Would a narcissist be so egocentric that they would assume the ad is placed there just for them to see? Or would they assume that it is meant for everyone except them? After all, there’s nothing wrong with me!

So, strictly in the interest of intellectual curiosity, I visited the site and sure enough I found:

Narcissism is easily recognized in others, but rarely in ourselves. We define narcissism in narrow terms to cast ourselves outside its net.

But, if we tend to define narcissism to apply to everyone else, wouldn’t this ad tend to make one assume that it is meant for everyone else? So, other than the idly curious like me, does this ad ever really attract the ones (meaning you, not me) that it intends to draw? (Note: I don’t, of course, mean you, the few people that read this blog. I mean you, everyone else. We all know there’s nothing wrong with us….)

Somebody’s head hurts. I think it’s mine.

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